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50 High Protein Meals

By chef Henry

These delicious high protein meals are made from healthy whole food protein sources! My guide has you covered with ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

High protein meals

You might think that “high protein” meals have to be plain chicken breast or protein shakes. But I couldn’t disagree more: my go-to high protein meals are things like silky masoor dal with warming spices, a shrimp Caesar salad that comes together faster than takeout, and the baked chicken meatballs that my kids request by name.

After reviewing the hundreds of recipes on this website, I’ve found my top go-to recipes for high protein meals that will fuel your day that my entire family loves: including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. I’ve also included some information from the Mayo Clinic that may change the way you think about protein!

What Is a High Protein Meal?

The Mayo Clinic recommends to consume 15–30 grams of protein at each meal. Interestingly, more is not better. Studies show eating more than 40 grams in one sitting is no more beneficial than consuming 15-30 grams in a meal. So, there’s no benefit in eating more protein than you need!

What Are the Healthiest Protein Sources?

The Mayo Clinic, the best ways to get protein are eating whole foods (not protein powder or supplements), like the following:

  • Fish or seafood
  • Lean meats, such as skinless, white-meat chicken or turkey
  • Egg whites
  • Low-fat dairy
  • Plant based protein like soy, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

This article from the Mayo Clinic says you need 60 grams per day for an average adult. Once you’re 40 to 50 years old, you can start to lose muscle mass as you age, so you can target 70 to 90 grams.

The article also states that most Americans meet or exceed their protein needs. So it’s actually likely you’re already consuming enough protein, even if you’re not explicitly tracking it!

My Top High Protein Meals

Here are my top high protein meals, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dinner ideas. (You can find more meatless ideas in my vegetarian high protein meals.)

High Protein Dinner Ideas

Dinner is one of the easiest places to hit your protein goals: chicken, salmon and shrimp are simple to cook and high in protein. My masoor dal and red lentil soup are also great options for plant-based. Here are my 30 favorite dinners:

High Protein Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is simple to make high-protein when you have yogurt or cottage cheese. Yogurt bowls and cottage cheese pancakes are two of my favorites here, as well as my smoked salmon toast. Here are my top 10 high protein breakfast recipes for mornings, or see my full guide to High Protein Breakfast Ideas.

High Protein Snack and Lunch Ideas

Lunch can be hard to plan especially at an office, but Mediterranean tuna salad and smoked salmon salad are two of my favorite ideas that go big on protein and are easy to transport. Here are my top 10 high protein snack and lunch recipes, or see my High Protein Lunch Recipes for more ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the highest protein meal on this list?

My one pot chicken and rice has 49 grams per serving. Greek chicken bowls have 44 grams, and my spinach stuffed salmon, Mediterranean chicken, and chicken enchilada casserole all are 41 grams per serving. Remember that per the guidance from Mayo Clinic above, you only need 15 to 30 grams per sitting so it’s not about having the highest protein but consistently consuming high protein meals.

What does 100 grams of protein look like across a day?

This could look like yogurt bowls for breakfast (31 grams), Mediterranean tuna salad for lunch (35 grams), and shrimp and orzo for dinner (37 grams).

What foods have the most protein per serving?

Some high protein animal sources are chicken breast, turkey, tuna, salmon, and shrimp. Plant based food the highest are tofu, tempeh, lentils, and edamame. For dairy, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are very high in protein per serving.

What’s the easiest high protein dinner to make on a weeknight?

My sauteed shrimp or Old Bay shrimp are very high protein and take less than 10 minutes.

Can these high protein meals be made ahead?

Most of them will last 3 to 4 days refrigerated. Cooked chicken, cooked beans and lentils, and cooked whole grains are the best bets here. Fish is best eaten within a few days, but tuna cakes save very well too.

More High Protein Meals

More High Protein Meals


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