7 ways to add more lean protein to your diet

Protein is important for a diabetic's diet. It has little or no effect on blood sugar,  and helps keep hunger at bay between meals. Since saturated fat contributes to insulin resistance, what you want more of is lean protein.

Eggs have been much maligned over the years, but the fact is that they are an excellent and inexpensive source of protein and the most nutritionally complete of all protein sources.

• One large, hard-boiled egg contains six grams of protein and has just 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
• To avoid the saturated fat altogether, use the egg whites and throw out the yolks.
• Or you can dress that egg up by making an omelet and folding in iron and fibre-rich spinach.

Red meat contains saturated fat, and, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, a high consumption of red meat is consider a risk factor in developing type 2 diabetes.

Pork loin is very lean meat and isn't too expensive.

• Throw a couple of chops on the grill (dress them up first with a low-calorie garlic–lime juice marinade, or with chili and garlic powders) for a quick dinner.
• Each is just 125 calories, with a healthy 17 grams of protein.

These are great to keep in your freezer for easy meals.

• Each tenderloin weighs about 50 grams (two ounces), which makes portion control easy for you — two tenderloins are roughly equal to the size of a deck of cards.
• Tenderloins will marinate quickly and can be used in kebabs or tossed into stir-fry dishes.

Many cuts of beef are 20 per cent leaner than they were 14 years ago — great news if you want to indulge in a steak or beef stew every now and again.

The following cuts of beef are listed in order of leanness, starting with the most lean. All contain less than 10 grams of total fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat or less, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.

• Eye round roast
• Top round steak
• Mock tender steak
• Bottom round roast
• Top sirloin steak
• Round tip roast
• 95 percent lean ground beef
• Flat half of a brisket
• Shank crosscuts
• Chuck shoulder roast
• Arm pot roast
• Shoulder steak
• Top loin steak (such as strip or New York steak)
• Flank steak
• Rib-eye steak
• Rib steak
• Tri-tip roast
• Tenderloin steak
• T-bone steak

Lean slices of meat on whole wheat bread topped with mustard and baby spinach leaves make a healthy, low-cholesterol lunch — that is, if you select lunch meats that are low in saturated fat.

• Skip salami and bologna.
• Good second choices are lean ham and roast beef — just stick to two slices of meat in your sandwich.

These young green soybeans, in or out of their shell, are wonderful as snacks; just steam them and add a little salt. You can also add them to soups and salads.

• Soy has more protein, by volume, than beef, and virtually none of the saturated fat.

Lean proteins can  taste delicious and are an important part of a healthy and balanced diet when you have diabetes.