Protein sources ranked by new Mealkitt study

14 Aug 2017 --- Nutritionists at portion control kit company Mealkitt have analyzed five types of protein and revealed the healthiest sources for each. In what might come as a surprise, the “best” option is not always listed as the one that contains the most protein. The sources of protein that the nutritionists assessed were: eggs, chicken, fish, pork and beef.

Protein’s benefits are well known, and the UK National Health Service (NHS) has reported that eating protein before and after a workout can help muscles to repair, as well as helping them to grow. The advice from Mealkitt nutritionists has put three types of the same protein in order in each category by how healthy it is, from “good” to “better” and ”best.” The nutritionists did not always pick what might generally be considered the “healthiest” option for each source of protein.

The nutritionists suggest that the best protein option for eggs is a duck egg, which contains 130 calories, 10g fat, 1g carbohydrates and 9g protein. The findings related to chicken, on the other hand, contain what could be something of a surprise, as chicken nuggets are listed as a healthier source of protein than chicken sausage. The best source, however, was found to be skinless chicken breast, which contains 110 calories, 1.2g fat, 0g carbs and 23g protein per 100g.

Eaters of fish should perhaps optimally go for cod, as it contains 82 calories, 0.7g fat, 0g carbohydrates and 18g protein per 100g, according to the nutritionists. A pork burger is ranked as the best option for protein lovers, with a 100g ground pork burger containing 263 calories, 21g fat, 0g carbohydrate and 17g protein. Meanwhile, the healthiest type of beef is given as 100g sirloin steak, which contains 160 calories, 7g fat, 0g carbohydrates and 22g protein.

The nutritionists produced their results based on how lean each source of protein is, as well their calorie and carbohydrate content. Some of the results may have been surprising, but they did generally show that the less processing a product had, the healthier it was considered to be.