Good Natural Sources of Protein
While protein supplements are good sources of protein, they shouldn't be your only source. You should get most of your protein from natural sources and use protein supplements only to top up your protein intake. There are many good natural sources of protein around, and with a little knowledge, you can have good protien naturally even when cutting weight. Below are the main recommended protein sources:
Red Meat - Beef steaks are a good source of protein. Avoid mince meat as it contains alot of fat. Even with beef steaks, if you're trying to lose weight, limit it to once a week. Red meats are also good for building muscle because they contain creatine which helps muscle growth.
Poultry - White meat is a great source of protein. If you take chicken breast without the skin, you can have a good intake of protein without the fat. If you really want to have fat-less chicken, make sure you remove the skin before cooking the chicken, otherwise the fat will seep all over the meat while cooking. It won't taste as nice, but you're saving yourself alot of calories. If you can afford it, try also to go for organic chicken as they tend to be much richer in EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) rather than the cheap battery farmed variety.
Dairy - If you're not lactose intolerant, dairy products such as milk and cheese are good sources of protein. If you're on a strict weight loss regime, stick to skimmed milk only. Cheese tends to be high in fat regardless, but the cheese with the lowest amount of fat is cottage cheese. Milk is also high in calcium, which is necessary for among other things, developing strong bones.
Fish - This is another great source of protien and should, along with chicken form a considerable part of your natural protein intake. Fish is low in fat, and high in protein and essential omega oils which among other things, boost brain function making you feel more alert. Salmon is a notable good source but try if you can to go for wild salmon which is much richer in Omega 3 as opposed to farmed salmon which are typically fed cheap feed, making the meat alot more sickly.
Eggs - Good source of protein but watch out for the yolk which is high in calories and cholesterol. Egg whites contain alot of protein so if you're having multiple eggs, you should use only 1 egg yolk and discard the rest.
Nuts - Walnuts, almonds cashew and pistachio are a good source of protein but they also contain alot of fat. Mind you, the fat they contain are good fats but they are still high in calories so unless you're an ectomorph trying to bulk up you shouldn't eat too much of them.
Remember, whey protein supplements should not form the bulk of your diet but with so many natural protein sources there's no reason why you would. Especially since they taste alot nicer than having shakes everyday!