We’ve covered the protein we build our plates around. Now the other side of the coin. Not every protein is created equal, and some that look fine on paper either don’t pull their weight or come with baggage you don’t need. Here’s what we keep on the bench, and what we leave off the field entirely, with the plain reason for each.
Okay in a Pinch, But Not Our Go-To
These will feed you. They’re just not what we build a plan around. Eat them when you want them, just don’t lean on them as your foundation:
- Crab: real protein, but it runs high in sodium, and it’s pricey and harder to come by than a chicken breast.
- Lean ham: leaner than most cuts, but it’s still a processed meat and it’s loaded with sodium.
- Lobster: the protein’s there, but it usually shows up swimming in butter, which buries the benefit under a pile of calories.
- Shrimp: a low-calorie protein, but the questions around contaminants and sourcing knock it down the list for us.
Protein to Skip
These we steer clear of, either because the quality is poor, the additives are bad news, or they just aren’t real protein sources:
- Processed meats like hot dogs, sausage, and bacon: high in preservatives, saturated fat, and sodium, and tied to inflammation and chronic disease. Once in a while is fine. Daily protein, no.
- Heavily processed plant-meat replacers like texturized vegetable protein and most veggie burgers: these are ultra-processed, packed with artificial additives and low-grade protein blends. The healthy label on the front rarely matches the ingredient list on the back.
- Soy and wheat-gluten proteins like tofu, tempeh, and seitan: these can work for folks eating vegetarian, and that’s fine. For our goals we lean on animal protein, because it digests well and delivers the full amino profile your muscles want without the extra processing.
- Fruits and vegetables counted as protein: eat them by the truckload for your health, but apples, oranges, and lettuce are not protein sources. Don’t rely on them to hit your number.
- Protein bars: most are candy bars wearing gym clothes, loaded with added sugar, artificial sweeteners, and cheap protein. Fine as an occasional snack, not a real protein meal.
- Bargain-bin protein powder: the cheap tubs are often full of fillers and low-grade protein your body can’t use well. If you’re going to use powder, spend a little more and get a clean one.
Bottom Line
Hitting your protein number is only half the job. Where that protein comes from is the other half. Build your plate around clean, complete, mostly whole-food protein, keep the bench players occasional, and leave the junk-quality stuff off the plan entirely. Your strength and recovery are built out of what you actually absorb, not just what the label on the package claims.