What Is Good Protein?

 Protein is an essential macronutrient in your diet. It provides energy when carbohydrates aren't available and gives structure to cells, organ tissues and muscles. There's no such thing as bad protein, but some protein sources are healthier for you than others. These good proteins are complete, providing all of the essential amino acids, and have a minimal amount of fat and calories.

Good proteins are complete. This means that they have all of the amino acids your body has to have from your daily diet -- you need more than 20 different amino acids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains. Meat, seafood, fish, milk, poultry and eggs are all complete proteins. While beans, whole grains, nuts and other plant-based foods add protein to your diet, the protein is incomplete. You'll need to consume a variety of plant proteins throughout the day to get all of the essential amino acids your body needs versus getting them from one food.

Good proteins are lean, meaning they are low in fat and calories. Your entree should provide the protein your body needs but not wind up increasing your waistline. Examples of lean proteins include skinless chicken breast, beef top sirloin, pork tenderloin and light turkey meat. Fish and seafood are naturally lean, whether you love salmon, haddock, tuna, shrimp or lobster. These proteins each have 7 grams of protein per ounce and less than 3 grams of fat per ounce, reports MayoClinic.com. Fatty cuts of meat, like pork sausage and bacon, have the same amount of protein but also have more than 8 grams of fat per ounce.

Proteins that are particularly healthy for you have good fat. Coldwater fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring and mackerel, are packed with omega-3 fatty acids in addition to complete protein. Omega-3s reduce inflammation in your body, improve cholesterol levels and protect your heart. Consuming 8 ounces of omega-3-rich seafood per week drastically reduces your risk of suffering from heart disease, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010.

Keep your good proteins lean by utilizing healthy cooking techniques. Use nonstick cooking spray, instead of oil, during preparation. Grill, broil or pan-sear and bake your cut of chicken, fish or other lean protein source. When you go out to eat, avoid meat and seafood that are breaded and fried. Although the protein itself is lean, wrapping it in egg batter and breadcrumbs before dropping it in the fryer adds unnecessary fat and calories.