What are good healthy protein choices?

1. Very lean ground hamburger meat, chicken breast without the skin, chunk light tuna fish, pinto beans, and peanuts are some good choices.

Are healthy protein choices expensive?

1. Dry beans and peas, peanut butter and eggs are very inexpensive foods that are great sources of protein. Meat can be expensive, but can feed more people if it is used in stews and casseroles instead of the main part of the meal.

Aren't nuts and seeds high in fat?

1. Nut and seeds do conatain fat but it's the healthy fat (mono and polyunsaturated fat) that is good for your heart.
   
   

Did you know?

1. Beans have more protein than any other vegetable.
2. Choosing healthy proteins more often can help reduce the risk of diseases like cancer and heart disease.
3. Nuts and seeds are a great source of protein and are healthy for your heart. Storage and Defrosting Tips

Storage and Defrosting Tips

1. Store raw meat, poultry and seafood on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to keep juices from dripping onto other foods.
2. Thaw meat by placing it in the refrigerator or defrosting it on a plate in the microwave.

What to look for at the grocery store

1. Choose lean and extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least "90% lean."
2. Buy skinless chicken breast or take off the skin before cooking.

Meat-free ways to eat healthy proteins

1. Add nuts, seeds, or cooked egg slices to salad.
2. Try garbanzo beans or kidney beans in salad.
3. Enjoy split pea, lentil, or minestrone soup.

Healthy Proteins are Nutritious

1. Great healthy protein choices include: lean meat, skinless chicken and turkey, fish, dry beans and peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
2. Healthy proteins are included in the meat and beans group from MyPyramid and provide lots of B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, and magnesium.
3. Beans are a great source of protein and fiber.
4. Healthy proteins are important for healthy skin, blood and muscles.

Cooking Tips

1. Trim fat from meat and chicken before cooking.
2. Broil, grill, or roast meat, chicken, or fish instead of frying.
3. Drain off any fat that appears during cooking.
4. Season meat, chicken, and fish with broth and herbs instead of using full fat gravies and sauces.

Trivia

1. The average hen lays 270 eggs per year. Eggs are a great source of protein.
2. One beef cow produces enough hamburger meat for 1,500 servings.
3. It takes about 185 peanuts to make an 18-oz jar of peanut butter. Peanuts are a convenient source of protein.
4. Although commonly called a nut, the peanut is actually a legume more closely related to beans and lentils.

Capture the Healthy Proteins Card

• This should be played with a big group of kids. Divide the group into two teams. Give each team a note card and help them fill it with facts about healthy proteins. Each team should establish a "base" on their side of the room. The objective is to capture the other team's note card from their base, and bring it safely back to their own base. Opposing players can be "tagged" by players in their home territory; these players are then out of the game and it's up to the remaining players to capture the card. Once captured, the winning player reads the card aloud to the group.

20 Questions

• Give each kid a note card and pen and ask them to write down a meal cooked with their favorite healthy protein from the list below (example, spaghetti made with ground turkey). Then have the rest of the group ask the card holder yes or no questions about the characteristics of the meal until someone can guess what it is. Each person gets a turn as the card holder. It might also be fun to play music in the background during the game.
• Healthy proteins list: Salmon, trout, herring, cod, catfish, chunk light tuna, lean beef, chicken, turkey, lean cuts of pork, nuts and seeds, beans and eggs.

Name It

• Make sure each kid has a sheet of paper and pen. They should write down their whole name and using only the letters in their first, middle and last name, come up with examples of healthy proteins - it can be as simple as "bean," or a dish made with healthy proteins such as "chili" (for its beans and meat). If they need help, they can get into pairs and use both peoples' names combined. To extend the game, kids can use names of their parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, or pets.