12 Best High-Protein Foods (Some May Surprise You)

LAST UPDATED: March 24th, 2022

Proteins are the holy grail to every bodybuilder.

They are essential for building muscles and human health. (1)

Period.

Although many guys use protein powder when they exercise, in this article I will talk about the best high-protein foods for bodybuilding.

Some foods are quite familiar probably, but some will surprise you with the number of proteins.

So, let’s start.

SEE ALSO: HOW MUCH PROTEIN YOU NEED A DAY TO BUILD MUSCLE?

Best High-Protein Foods for muscle building (some will definitely surprise you):

1. Seitan

Seitan is a very popular wheat meat.

It is also called wheat gluten and wheat protein.

This food is made of wheat flour, high in proteins.

It’s a wheat gluten that is made by washing wheat flour dough and removing the starch.

By washing and cooking the dough you get pure gluten which has a very similar texture to meat.

Seitan has an insane 70g of protein per 100 gram.

It is one of the best muscle-building foods for vegans.

2. Dried Cod fish

Fish proteins are more than a great substitute for meat proteins.

Dried cod is extremely high in proteins, it contains essential fatty acids which are important for building cell membranes.

There are 63 grams of proteins per 100gr.

3. Spirulina

Spirulina is a blue-green alga shaped as a spiral.

It contains high-quality plant proteins, it contains 3-4 times more proteins than beef and 5 times more proteins than eggs.

These proteins are biologically complete since they contain all essential and non-essential amino acids.

Spirulina has 58gr of proteins per 100gr.

4. Parmesan

This cheese takes a long time to age and that’s why it is very nutritious.

Proteins break down into simpler compounds during the process so it eases digestion and it doesn’t burden your metabolism.

It contains 40gr of proteins per 100gr.

5. Soy (dried soybeans)

Soy is one plant ingredient which contains all essential amino acids necessary for your body.

Dried soybeans are very good because they contain a lot of proteins, 40% to be exact, which makes soy very nutritious and an excellent source of minerals, fiber, and vitamins.

There are 40 grams of proteins per 100gr.

6. Lean beef

Lean beef is one of the best muscle building foods.

Meat is a primary source of animal proteins along with milk and eggs.

You can get a very nutritious meal if you cook it well.

This refers to more quality meat such as veal or beef.

The number of proteins can vary, but if the meat is well processed and cooked you can get a very high percent of proteins.

There are 37g of proteins per 100gr on average.

7. Lamb meat

Lamb contains niacin and vitamin B12, which help you work out longer.

It’s also a good source of zinc and selenium which help your muscles recover better after your training.

In addition, lamb proteins are easy to digest since they contain a small amount of connective tissue.

Lamb meat contains 36 gr of proteins per 100gr.

8. Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of dietary fiber and fatty acids which are great for the health of your heart.

These seeds are also high in proteins, minerals, and vitamins.

Pumpkin seeds are one of the best testosterone-boosting foods.

Only 100g of pumpkin seeds contain 100% of the daily requirements for iron, about 30% of the daily requirements for niacin, selenium, and zinc.

Pumpkin seeds contain 33gr of proteins per 100gr.

9. Roasted cuttlefish

Roasted cuttlefish is low in calories and fats, but incredibly high in proteins.

Everyone can eat this fish, even those of you who have a weight problem or high cholesterol.

That’s because 100g of roasted cuttlefish has only 158 calories, 1,6 grams of carbs, 1,4 grams of fat, and 32,5 grams of proteins.

10. Mozzarella

If you want to eat fat-free cheese with just a few carbs and a lot of proteins, then fat-free mozzarella is the right choice for you.

One hundred grams of this cheese contains 32 grams of proteins, 0 % fats, 4 grams of carbs and the rest is water.

Regular mozzarella (not fat-free) contains 28 grams of proteins, but 16% fat per 100 gr.

11. Poultry

One of the best high-protein foods.

You probably know that poultry is one of the bodybuilders’ favorite foods.

The average amount of proteins in poultry meat (chicken breast, turkey breast) is 31 gr per 100gr.

Also, it is high in leucine (one of the BCAAs).

12. Egg whites

The white part of the egg is good high-protein food.

It has 11 g of proteins per 100gr.

How to intake enough protein after a workout?

The best way is through supplementation.

As you know I don’t approve of steroids.

The only supplements I am using are natural supplements.

And the best post-workout supplement for muscle growth is Tri-Protein.

So, read my review of this supplement.

Tri-Protein Review

Tri-Protein is the best natural protein supplement for muscles.

It is made by CrazyNutrition.

How does Tri-Protein Work?

This supplement is made of the 6 most important amino acids for muscle growth.

But what makes Tri-Protein different from other protein supplements is that these amino acids are released in 3 stages.

Actually, amino acids are digested in 3 different stages in order to feed your muscles with maximum proteins.

So, your muscles will grow 24/7 and you will have more energy and strength.

Also, it will reduce sore muscles and fatigue.

Ingredients of Tri-Protein supplement

As I said, this supplement is made of natural ingredients only.

Here you can see the ingredients:

• Whey Protein Isolate
• Whey Protein Concentrate
• Casein Protein
• Whey Protein Hydrolysate
• Chocolate Powder

You can read more about Tri Protein and check the price here.

Best High-Protein Foods – Bottom Line:

If you want to eat foods with more proteins you should eat:

• Meat – lean beef, lamb, poultry
• Eggs
• Fish – dried cod fish, salmon, tuna, cuttlefish
• Pumpkin seeds, soya, spirulina

If you want to intake more proteins after a workout you should try the best natural protein supplement – Tri Protein.