Beans. Egg whites. Skim milk. Fish. Yogurt. Skinless turkey, chicken and top round beef.

What do these foods have in common?

They're high in protein and low in fat -- just what studies suggest help control appetite and hold weight steady. This combination of attributes may help thwart the accumulation of "holiday pounds" that plagues many people from Thanksgiving to New Year's.

For that reason , boost protein intake to about 20 percent of daily calories as the food goal for the second week of the Lean Plate Club Holiday Challenge. Most Americans get about 10 to 15 percent of their daily calories from protein. (If you have kidney problems, be sure to check with your doctor before making diet changes.) The National Academy of Sciences sets 30 percent as the safe limit for protein consumption.

How does eating a little more protein help to maintain weight?

Eating protein makes you feel more full than eating carbohydrates or fat because it takes more energy for the body to digest and store protein. Studies also show that eating protein helps preserve muscle. That, in turn, makes weight maintenance a little easier because muscle burns more calories than fat. "It's not a magic treatment, but it helps very much," says Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga, a researcher at Maastricht University in the Netherlands.

To boost protein to 20 percent of calories -- about 100 grams on a typical 2,000 calories per day -- here are some easy, healthful, high-protein food choices. (And keep eating five to nine servings a day of fruit and vegetables. Fill up on those before having the holiday treats. A serving is about one piece of fruit or half a cup of cooked vegetables. )

Reach for beans. Each half-cup of cooked beans has about eight grams of protein, zero fat and plenty of complex carbs -- the type that don't spike blood sugar levels the way that processed carbs do. Sip bean soup or toss a half-cup of beans on your salad for a protein boost.

Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy products. A cup of skim milk has eight grams of protein and zero fat. Other good choices: low-fat buttermilk and nonfat and low-fat yogurt and cheese. String cheese has about 80 calories per ounce, eight grams of protein and five grams of fat.

Use egg whites. Each one packs about four grams of protein and contains no fat. Boil eggs, discard the yolks and fill the centers with low-fat dip. Or make an egg white omelet to boost protein without hiking cholesterol.

Add some soy. Tofu, soy nuts and high-protein soy cereals and soy-based meat substitutes add protein without adding a lot of fat.

Choose fish , white poultry meat without the skin and very lean cuts of meat. About three ounces of each has 16 to 27 grams of protein and one to eight grams of fat.

Of course, food is only half the equation for weight maintenance. This week, boost physical activity by about five minutes a day. No need to do it all at once. Add activity throughout day by using a water cooler or restroom on another floor, climbing the stairs or simply taking a two- to three-minute walk around the office every hour. (Activity forms are available at www.washingtonpost.com/leanplateclub.)

Also consider a pedometer, a small, battery-operated device that counts steps and costs $10 to $30. If you already wear one, aim for 500 steps more daily this week to help keep weight steady. Find pedometers and more information at the Partnership to Promote Health Eating and Active Living, www.americaonthemove.org.

-- Sally Squires

Share Your Tips or ask questions about healthy nutrition and activity when Sally Squires hosts the Lean Plate Club online chat, from 1 to 2 p.m. today, on www.washingtonpost.com. New To The Club? The Lean Plate Club is devoted to healthy eating and boosting activity. To learn more, and subscribe to our free e-newsletter, visit www.washingtonpost.com/leanplateclub.

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