How many different sources of protein do you consume each day? Four? Five? If your goal is to be a serious bodybuilder and attain any level of success on the bodybuilding stage, you’re going to want to delve into 8 to 10 different protein sources each week. Different proteins have different protein profiles. Some are stronger than others, and some have a distinct advantage – or disadvantage – depending on your body’s makeup. Let’s learn more about the importance and rationale behind varying protein sources.

Profiles

Whey and beef have very high protein profiles. Eggs are very high on the scale also. Pork and fish rank a bit lower on the scale. Consult a protein profile chart and use this information to ensure you are including the correct sources of protein in your diet. Rather than choose the ones you like best – choose the ones that will work best with your body in the muscle building process. The result will be a higher total profile in your blood, which will make for a more conductive environment for growth.

Digestion Rates

Foods with high levels of fat digest very slowly, while foods that are low in fat or fat-free digest very quickly. This is why you’re often quite hungry just an hour after eating tilapia or other lean fish. For this reason, you should select your protein source based upon the activity you are engaging in. If you are just eating breakfast, opt for a low-fat protein which will digest quickly. This will prime you for a snack two hours later of 30 more grams of protein. However, if you are going to the gym to sleep, or on a road trip, a slower-digesting protein with higher fat (such as beef) will last you much longer and prevent your body from entering a starvation state. Choose a few slices of roast beef in situations like that.

Availability

Cooked egg whites are quickly digested, low in calories and fat, carb-free, and they taste good. Some refer to egg whites as the perfect bodybuilding food. However, egg whites aren’t exactly the type of food you can pull out of your cooler or keep in your backpack to eat at any time, as you can with protein bars or a pouch of tuna. If a food isn’t readily available when you need it, it is a poor protein choice.

Taste

Finally, the factor of taste cannot be ignored. Some proteins, no matter how complete or digestively advantageous they are, will not be consumed if they just plain don’t taste good. You should take this into consideration when making your diet plan. While it might look good on paper to eat something you don’t like, when you’re 8 weeks into a diet, carb-starved, and faced with the prospect of eating a protein you actively dislike, there is a good chance you may mess up your diet. To avoid this, choose your food courses from a variety of high-profile, digestively advantageous, available protein sources that you actually enjoy eating.

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