Whether you’re shopping in the grocery store, poring over the menu at a restaurant, or debating which protein supplement will give you the most bang for your buck, it’s a dilemma that you’re likely to encounter: steak versus chicken protein. You know that protein is an important part of a healthy diet, but which protein source is best?
Steak Versus Chicken Protein
There’s no question that the right amount of protein does a body good. As Healthline points out, consuming protein can boost your metabolism, speed recovery after exercise or injury, help you build muscle, make it easier to maintain bone mass, and lower your blood pressure. Protein is also beneficial to anyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off, because consuming enough protein can reduce hunger pangs, temporarily boost the number of calories you burn, and raise your metabolic rate. Which protein source is best? When the choice is steak versus chicken protein, you’ll need to look closely at the qualities of these two popular proteins to find your answer.
Complete Protein
As the Food and Drug Administration explains, proteins are made up of units called amino acids. Among the various amino acids, nine are considered essential. They are vital for healthy body function, but they must be acquired from food because they cannot be made by the human body. Since they contain adequate amounts of the essential amino acids, complete proteins are a valuable part of a healthy diet. Incomplete proteins don’t provide the same balance. How do steak and chicken compare? Both are complete proteins.
Biological Value
What is a protein’s biological value? Fooducate reports that it is a measurement of how efficiently the body can absorb and use a particular protein. Biological values run from zero to 100, and higher scores indicate better usability. With their full complement of essential amino acids, complete proteins tend to rank higher than incomplete proteins, so it is no surprise that steak and chicken make strong showings. Both have high biological values, which means that consuming the protein that steak and chicken provide gives your body easy access to the raw materials that make protein such an important component of a healthy diet.
Digestibility
Much like certain proteins are more readily used by the body, certain foods are easier to digest than others. If you have a sensitive stomach, struggle with chronic digestive issues, are recovering from an illness, or want to support your digestive health by allowing your system to relax a bit, then you will need to avoid foods that are high in sugar, fiber, grease, and fat. When looking for protein sources to add to a digestion-friendly menu, chicken is a superior choice, according to NewHealthGuide.org. Since steak tends to contain more fat, it isn’t as easy to digest. If you’re concerned about digestibility and have your heart set on steak, you’ll want to stick to very lean cuts.
Fat
There are concerns that consuming proteins from animal sources like steak and chicken might increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular troubles because they contain saturated fats and cholesterol (source). When weighing the matter of steak versus chicken protein, how does saturated fat fit into the picture? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 3.5 ounces of steak provides roughly 30 grams of protein and contains some 6.5 grams of fat, including 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Meanwhile, the National Chicken Council reports that 3.5 ounces of chicken breast offers 31 grams of protein and contains a mere 3.6 grams of fat, which includes just 1 gram of saturated fat. Clearly, if you’re worried about your consumption of fat and cholesterol, you’ll want to opt for chicken over steak when choosing your protein source.
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