(HealthCastle.com) It is recommended that you eat two servings of protein a day. Your two protein servings - equivalent to 6 ounces - can come from a combination of animal and plant sources. Are you choosing the healthiest protein foods?

Go Lean and Keep it Lean:

Try to focus on eating lean plant-based protein and fish as an alternative to eating to meat. When you do decide on meat, always go for the leanest cut.

• Beef: Look for round steaks and roasts, top loin and sirloin, chuck shoulder and arm roasts, and extra lean ground beef.
• Pork: Choose pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
• Chicken: Buy skinless chicken and turkey or take off the skin before cooking.
  

Once you have picked your lean meat, you can keep it lean by doing the following:

• Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.
• Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat instead of frying.
• Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
• Skip or limit the breading on meat.
• Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.
  
  

Vary Your Protein:

There are many delicious sources of protein that do not come from meat. Fish and plant-based proteins are high in fiber and low in fat. It is recommended that you eat at least two servings of fish a week, so when you do, look for fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, trout, and herring.

Choose dry beans or peas as a main dish or part of a meal. Some choices are:

• Chili with kidney or pinto beans
• Stir-fried tofu
• Split pea, lentil, minestrone, or white bean soups
• Baked beans
• Black bean enchiladas
• Veggie or garden burgers
• Hummus spread on pita bread
  

Choose nuts as a snack, on salads, or in main dishes:

• Add pine nuts in pesto sauce for pasta.
• Add slivered almonds with steamed vegetables.
• Add toasted peanuts or cashews to a vegetable stir fry.
• Sprinkle a few nuts on top of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt.
• Add walnuts or pecans to a green salad.
  
  

Bottom Line:

Always check labels for the saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium content of packaged foods. Whenever possible, enjoy a meat alternative such as fish, nuts, or beans. If you are eating meat, always go for the leanest cuts. The most important thing to remember when selecting a protein is that it be lean, low fat, or fat free.