In this monologue the speaker ranks various protein sources using a tier system (S, A, D, C). Plant‑based proteins are placed in the D tier because, while they can be combined to form complete proteins, they are difficult for athletes to consume in sufficient quantities for muscle growth. Dairy products and eggs are placed in the A tier; they are complete proteins but contain more fat, making them slightly less optimal than meat. Meat (fish, turkey, chicken, beef, pork) occupies the S tier, touted as the most protein‑dense, complete source that also supplies additional nutrients. Protein powders and bars are assigned to the C tier: useful supplements for hitting protein targets but should not replace real food. The speaker emphasizes a practical, muscle‑building perspective, acknowledges vegans, and stresses real food first.
Chapters
Ranking my favorite protein sources S to F, starting with plant-based proteins. Plant-based proteins are proteins that come from plants. I'm gonna put this in the D tier, and here's why. You can combine plant-based foods together to create complete proteins, but the issue is athletes are wanting to get bigger and faster and stronger and put on muscle, and that requires a lot of protein. And it's going to be really tough to get all of their protein needs from these plant-based foods alone. If you're vegan, obviously that's a different story. That's why I didn't put it in the last place or anything like that. You can still get there if you need to. The second protein sources that I recommend are protein that comes from the animals. This is going to be your dairy products and your eggs. So think cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, normal cheese, milk. I'm gonna put those in A tier. They're not completely at the top because eggs and dairy are also high in fat, which is not a bad thing. But if we're just talking purely about protein and their sources, they are a complete protein. They will give you the right building blocks that your muscles need to put on muscle. These are so close to my S tier, but there's just one other protein source that I would put above this, and that is the number one protein source that I recommend, and that is the animal itself, the meat from the animal. Examples of this is going to be fish, turkey, chicken, beef, pork. Those are some of my personal favorites. The reason why it is an S tier is because it is a complete source of protein. It'll give you the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to how much protein is actually in there, and there's additional nutrients in here that your body needs to stay healthy and strong as well. And then last is a little bonus: protein powders and protein bars and different protein supplements. I would put that in the C tier. I really like a lot of protein powders, specifically whey or whey isolate. I think those are awesome. I those can be an awesome supplement to help hit your protein goal. However, I don't like when people put those above meat and real food. So I would say real food first, and then you can also throw in a protein shake during the day to hit your goal.
