Protein is an important staple for every man’s diet. It keeps you full, helps you build muscle, and is crucial to maintaining healthy cartilage and bones. But it takes more than just throwing a steak on the grill to get your daily protein fix (which, for the record, is about 56 grams per day for guys). Buying grass-fed, organic, pasture-raised and wild meats is important to ensure you’re getting good nutrients while limiting exposure to growth hormones, which have been linked to increased cancer risk.
As Registered Dietitian Carolyn Brown told MensHealth.com in December 2017, it’s good to “be a quality snob” at the grocery store.
Instead of just eating burgers every night, you’ll also want to diversify your meat sources. Diets high in red meat have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and colon cancer, so organizations like the American Institute for Cancer Research advise limiting your red meat consumption to about 18 ounces a week. (For comparison, a serving of beef is usually four to six ounces.)
You should swap out some of that red meat for seafood, which is low in fat but rich in nutrients like vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. Eating fish has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and studies show that people who consume it twice a week can reduce their risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent. Poultry like chicken and turkey are also good, lean sources of protein; however, the American Heart Association advises limiting yourself to six ounces per day.
Since you don’t have time to read every label, we’ve done the work for you to find the healthiest meat products on the market. Here are 20 delicious products you should buy to help you hit your daily target.
