High-Protein Meals: 14 Easy Meals With 30+ Grams of Protein, All Under 500 Calories

The short answer: a high-protein meal has at least 30 grams of protein. The easiest way to get there is to start with 4 to 5 ounces of a cooked lean protein (chicken, fish, shrimp, lean beef or pork tenderloin) or a big serving of Greek yogurt. Then add vegetables and a measured starch. Every meal below has 33 to 51 grams of protein, and each one is under 500 calories.

Every number here comes from the USDA's nutrition database.

What counts as a high-protein meal?

This article's rule is at least 30 grams of protein per meal.

That number comes from research on how your muscles use protein. In one study, adults who ate about 30 grams of protein at each of three meals had 25% higher muscle protein building over 24 hours than when they ate the same total protein loaded mostly into dinner (about 11 grams at breakfast, 16 at lunch and 63 at dinner) (Mamerow et al., Journal of Nutrition, 2014).

It was a small study (8 adults, one week on each diet), and it measured muscle building, not weight loss. But it's a useful target, and it shows that spreading protein across the day beats saving it all for dinner.

A few things to know:

• Weights are cooked unless a food is listed as dry (oats). Meat and fish lose water when they cook, so 5 oz of cooked meat starts out as more than 5 oz raw.
• Brands vary. Greek yogurt, deli turkey, tortillas, sauces and protein powder differ by brand. If the package has a Nutrition Facts label, the label wins.
• Cooking oil isn't included unless it's listed. One tablespoon of olive oil adds about 120 calories, so use a nonstick pan or measure the oil.
• Calories are rounded to the nearest calorie, protein and fiber to the nearest gram, and sodium to the nearest milligram.

The full list: 14 high-protein meals

Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy database. Each food's USDA ID is listed in the sources at the end.

High-protein breakfasts

Breakfast is where most people come up short. In the study above, the typical pattern had only about 11 grams of protein at breakfast.

• Protein overnight oats (374 calories, 38 g). Stir the oats, whey and skim milk together in a jar, add the raspberries, and refrigerate overnight. Most of the protein comes from the whey.
• Veggie omelet with toast (385 calories, 38 g). Two whole eggs plus half a cup of egg whites gives you more protein than four whole eggs, for fewer calories. The egg-white numbers are USDA's values for raw egg whites.
• Greek yogurt power bowl (319 calories, 38 g). Twelve ounces of plain nonfat Greek yogurt carries 35 of the 38 grams. Raw oats on top add crunch.

High-protein lunches

• Greek chicken salad (395 calories, 51 g). This is the most protein of any lunch here. The teaspoon of olive oil is counted. If you use bottled dressing, measure it and count it.
• Tuna wrap (299 calories, 38 g). Plain Greek yogurt replaces mayonnaise, which keeps it the lowest-calorie meal on the list.
• Chicken burrito bowl (451 calories, 47 g). The beans and brown rice make it the highest-fiber meal on the list, at 11 grams.
• Turkey and Swiss sandwich (410 calories, 33 g). It's the easiest lunch to pack, but it's the saltiest meal here, at 1,365 mg of sodium. Federal guidelines say adults should keep sodium under 2,300 mg a day (FDA). Eat it sometimes, not every day.

High-protein dinners

• Sirloin steak dinner (475 calories, 51 g). Lean top sirloin with a baked potato and broccoli ties the chicken salad for the most protein on the list.
• Salmon, potato and green beans (426 calories, 44 g). It's one of the lowest-sodium meals here, at 149 mg.
• Pork tenderloin and sweet potato (360 calories, 43 g). Five ounces of roasted pork tenderloin has 203 calories and 37 grams of protein, which keeps this meal well under 400 calories.
• Shrimp tacos (362 calories, 40 g). Five ounces of shrimp, corn tortillas, cabbage, salsa and a quarter of an avocado.
• Turkey chili (388 calories, 40 g). It's easy to make a big batch for the week (see meal prep below).
• Spaghetti with lean meat sauce (458 calories, 42 g). Pasta is fine. One measured cup of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti is 174 calories. The 95% lean ground beef provides most of the protein.
• Tempeh and quinoa bowl (453 calories, 38 g). This is the vegetarian option. Tempeh and edamame are both made from soybeans, and together they supply most of the protein.

A sample high-protein day

Here's what three of these meals and one snack look like together:

That's an example, not a prescription. Your calorie number depends on your size, age, sex and activity. To find yours, see Know Your Number. To set your protein target, see How Much Protein Do I Need?

If you need more calories, add a measured serving of starch or fat to any meal. The protein stays the same. If you need more protein between meals, see High-Protein Snacks: 18 That Actually Give You 10+ Grams of Protein.

How to build your own high-protein meal

1. Start with 30 grams of protein. That's about 4 to 5 oz of cooked chicken breast, fish, shrimp, lean beef or pork tenderloin, 6 oz of canned tuna, or 12 oz of plain nonfat Greek yogurt. For more options, see High-Protein, Low-Calorie Foods: 30 Best Choices.
2. Add at least one vegetable. Broccoli, green beans, peppers, cabbage, spinach and salad greens add volume for very few calories.
3. Measure the starch. A 1/2 cup of cooked rice, a medium potato or one cup of cooked pasta fits easily under 500 calories. Most people pour two or three times that.
4. Measure the fat. Oil, cheese, avocado, dressing and mayo are where a "healthy" meal quietly doubles its calories.
5. Log it. If tracking feels like a chore, read How to Count Calories Without Going Crazy.

High-protein meal prep

Cooking your protein once and eating it all week is the simplest way to hit 30 grams a meal.

• Cook two proteins on Sunday. For example, a tray of chicken breasts and a pot of turkey chili. That covers most of the lunches and dinners above.
• Weigh and portion it right away. Divide the cooked protein into 4- or 5-oz containers so every meal is already measured.
• Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer (USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service). If you're cooking for a full week, freeze the second half.
• Keep no-cook proteins on hand for the days you run out: canned tuna, Greek yogurt, eggs and deli turkey.

Do high-protein meals help with weight loss?

Only if they fit your calories. Protein doesn't burn fat. If your total calories for the day are too high, you won't lose weight, no matter how much protein you eat.

What protein does is help you keep muscle while you lose fat. A review of 24 controlled trials found that higher-protein diets, at the same calories, led to slightly more fat loss and preserved about 0.43 kg (about 1 pound) more lean mass than standard-protein diets (Wycherley et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2012). For more on keeping muscle, see the Muscle and Body Composition Guide.

Common mistakes

• Guessing portions. "A chicken breast" can be 4 oz or 10 oz. Weigh it.
• Mixing up raw and cooked weights. The numbers in this article are cooked weights. If you weigh meat raw, log it as raw.
• Forgetting the oil. Two tablespoons in the pan add about 240 calories, more than half of most meals on this list.
• Saving all your protein for dinner. A 63-gram dinner after an 11-gram breakfast is the pattern the study above found less effective. Spread it out.
• Picking meals you don't like. You don't have to eat tuna wraps. Pick the meals you'd actually eat again next week.

Frequently asked questions

What is a high-protein meal?

In this article, a meal with at least 30 grams of protein. That's about the amount per meal that research has linked to better muscle protein building than a low-protein breakfast and a high-protein dinner.

What meal has the most protein?

On this list, the Greek chicken salad and the sirloin steak dinner, at 51 grams each. The chicken salad does it in 395 calories.

What is the best high-protein, low-calorie meal?

The tuna wrap: 299 calories and 38 grams of protein. The Greek chicken salad gives the same amount of protein per calorie, with more total protein.

Can I eat high-protein meals if I'm vegetarian?

Yes. The tempeh and quinoa bowl has 38 grams, and the Greek yogurt bowl and overnight oats each have 38 grams with no meat. Eggs, cottage cheese, tofu and edamame also work.

How much protein should I eat per meal?

About 30 grams is a good target for most adults. Your daily total matters too. See How Much Protein Do I Need?

How long does meal-prepped food last?

Cooked leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer, according to the USDA. Refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking.

The bottom line

Build every meal around at least 30 grams of protein. Add vegetables, measure the starch and the fat, and log it. Every meal here does that in under 500 calories. Pick the ones you like and make them on repeat.

Want a plan built around foods you actually like? Book a free consult.

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About the author: Brian is The Diet Rebel, an ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Coach and Certified Weight Management Specialist, with a Precision Nutrition Certificate in Nutrition and Coaching.

This article is for education, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your doctor before changing how much protein you eat.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018 release). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ — USDA food ID (FDC ID) for each food:
   • Oats, regular and quick, dry: 173904
   • Whey protein powder: 173180
   • Skim milk: 171269
   • Raspberries, raw: 167755
   • Whole egg, raw: 171287
   • Egg whites, raw: 172183
   • Spinach, raw: 168462
   • Red bell pepper, raw: 170108
   • Part-skim mozzarella: 170847
   • Whole-wheat bread: 172688
   • Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat: 170894
   • Blueberries, raw: 171711
   • Chicken breast, skinless, roasted: 171477
   • Romaine lettuce: 169247
   • Cucumber, with peel: 168409
   • Tomato, raw: 170457
   • Feta cheese: 173420
   • Olive oil: 171413
   • Deli turkey breast, sliced: 172941
   • Swiss cheese: 171251
   • Light tuna, canned in water, drained: 173709
   • Whole-wheat tortilla: 174081
   • Black beans, boiled: 173735
   • Brown rice, cooked: 169704
   • Salsa: 174524
   • Sockeye salmon, cooked: 173692
   • Potato, baked, flesh and skin: 170093
   • Green beans, boiled: 169141
   • Ground turkey, 93% lean, pan-broiled: 172851
   • Kidney beans, boiled: 173740
   • Tomatoes, canned: 170051
   • Onion, raw: 170000
   • Ground beef, 95% lean, pan-browned: 174028
   • Whole-wheat pasta, cooked: 168910
   • Marinara sauce: 171192
   • Pork tenderloin, lean, roasted: 168250
   • Sweet potato, baked: 168483
   • Broccoli, boiled: 169967
   • Shrimp, cooked: 175180
   • Corn tortillas: 175036
   • Cabbage, raw: 169975
   • Avocado, raw: 171705
   • Top sirloin, lean, broiled: 168634
   • Tempeh, cooked: 172467
   • Quinoa, cooked: 168917
   • Edamame, prepared: 168411
   • Soy sauce, low sodium: 172473
2. Mamerow MM, et al. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. Journal of Nutrition, 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24477298/
3. Wycherley TP, et al. Effects of energy-restricted high-protein, low-fat compared with standard-protein, low-fat diets: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23097268/
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service. Leftovers and Food Safety. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety
5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sodium in Your Diet. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet

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