Protein is vital to maintaining optimal health. It contains the materials your body needs to survive and is crucial in regulating your appetite, promoting muscle recovery and supporting other necessary bodily functions. By incorporating more protein into your diet and becoming intentional with meal planning, you’ll be well on your way to meeting your nutritional goals.

What Are the Benefits of a High Protein Diet?

A high-protein diet can positively affect your life in so many ways, including:

  • Weight loss – Protein keeps you satiated for much longer than other types of food, which can help you maintain weight loss if that is your goal. It can also help reduce the levels of ghrelin in your body. Ghrelin is an appetite-regulating hormone associated with hunger.
  • Lowers blood pressure – Dietary protein has a hypotensive effect, especially when consumed from sources like eggs, poultry and legumes.
  • Boosts your metabolism – Protein takes a longer time to absorb and digest, which means your body burns more calories to complete the process. Additionally, higher protein intake may boost your metabolic rate.
  • Better bone health – Protein helps repair and build bones and improves strength and flexibility. It plays animportant role in creating fibers that help your bones grow and can increase the amount of calcium absorbed in your intestines.
  • Build lean muscle – Protein contains amino acids, which are needed to create and maintain muscle mass. To change your body composition, build muscle and lose fat, you must include enough protein in your diet.
  • Improve blood sugar levels – Some studies indicate that protein can stabilize blood sugar and lower blood glucose after eating a meal for those with type 2 diabetes.


Because protein is so filling and takes longer to digest, it may reduce your tendency to snack throughout the day, which is helpful if you’re pushing towards a weight loss goal. Even if you’re not on a weight loss journey, protein canboost athletic performance and promote overall health and well-being, which is enough to consider incorporating more of it into your diet.

How Much Protein Should I Be Eating?

The amount of protein you should be eating varies from person to person. There are several factors to consider when calculating your protein goals:

  • Your age
  • Your weight
  • General Health
  • Activity level


If you are pregnant, your protein requirements may also differ. According to the Institute of Medicine, adults over the age of 19 should receive 10% to 35% of their total caloric intake from protein. Generally, that’s anywhere between 200 to 700 calories per day from protein if you’re following a 2,000-calorie diet.

There is a specific way to calculate your protein goal. Take your weight in kilograms and multiply it by 0.8. This gives you an exact amount of protein you should be getting daily. So, if you’re a 190-pound male, you would need 68 grams to meet your daily requirement. While this amount may seem like a lot, it’s easy to meet your goal by incorporating smaller amounts of protein into your meals throughout the day. One study found that healthy men who consumed protein in this manner had more muscle growth than those who just ate most of their protein during lunch and dinner.

Good Dietary Sources of Protein

You don’t just have to eat meat to achieve your protein goals. You just have to be more mindful of which foods are good protein sources and incorporate them into your meals. Some of the best sources of protein include:

  • Seafood – Not only do many seafood options contain plenty of lean protein, but they also provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for your heart.
  • Meats – When choosing meat, be sure to opt for lean sources that are low in saturated fat. Beef, pork, lamb and poultry are good sources of lean protein. Just make sure to cut the skin off of poultry to decrease their fat content.
  • Eggs – Eggs are easily digestible and a great source of high-quality protein. Not only are they nutrient-dense, but they are inexpensive, too.
  • Dairy – In addition to protein, dairy is a good source of calcium, which is necessary for healthy bone density. Some excellent options for dairy include milk, cheese and yogurt. Opt for low-fat varieties of yogurt and skim milk when possible.
  • Nuts – Although nuts are good sources of protein, be mindful of your serving size as it can be easy to go overboard. Some good options to consider include walnuts, cashews, pistachios and almonds.
  • Legumes – If you’re looking for plant-based protein sources, legumes like lentils, peas, black beans and chickpeas are high in fiber and low in fat too, which will keep you satiated between meals.
  • Soy – This legume is high in protein and is widely used to create plant-based food products like tofu, soymilk and tempeh. Edamame is an excellent (and delicious) source of protein and packs 18.5 grams of protein in one cup.
  • Seeds – Seeds are excellent sources of protein. Try including pumpkin or sunflower seeds into your snack rotation or topping your yogurt with a sprinkle of flax or chia seeds for a tasty protein boost.
  • Whole grains – For a healthy diet, you want to opt for whole grains that are high in fiber instead of refined grains. While refined grains like white rice and bread are okay in moderation, they are generally not as nutritious as whole grains due to the way they are processed. Instead, go for options like brown rice, oatmeal and quinoa.


You don’t necessarily have to stick with a meat-based diet to meet your protein goals. If you are a pescatarian, vegetarian or have other special nutritional considerations, you should be able to find the right combination of food options that will work for you.

Can Fruits Be High in Protein?

While most fruits are higher in minerals and vitamins and are chock-full of antioxidants, you may find some options that are a bit higher in protein. If you want to eat more fruit-based proteins, consider apricots, blackberries, guava and avocado. Bear in mind, however, that receiving an adequate amount of protein from fruits alone is extremely difficult. If you’re avoiding meat or dairy, you should also consider adding plant, nut and legume-based sources into your diet.

What Are the Signs That I’m Not Getting Enough Protein?

You need protein to maintain optimal daily functioning, and different systems throughout your body will be affected when there’s not enough to go around. Some of the most common signs you aren’t getting enough protein include:

  • Mood changes due to neurochemical imbalances
  • Changes in hair, skin and nail texture and condition
  • Increased weakness and fatigue
  • Injuries that are slower to heal
  • Getting and staying sick more frequently
  • Increased hunger and snacking between meals

Older adults, young children and people with certain medical conditions are more likely to experience protein deficiency. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, check with your doctor to make sure they aren’t indicators of other health issues besides a protein-deficient diet.

Tips For Starting a High-Protein Diet

The best way to ensure you get enough protein in your diet is to have a meal plan. By understanding your personal protein goal and planning ahead before you hit the grocery store, you should be able to create a well-balanced meal plan that is delicious and nutritionally packed with healthy, satisfying options.

It can be easy to include more protein in your diet. You just have to get a little creative sometimes. Here are some tips you can try:

  • Replace your morning bowl of cereal with scrambled eggs and low-fat Greek yogurt.
  • Top your salads or oatmeal with some chopped almonds.
  • Consider adding a protein shake to your meal plan. You can even make your own using whey protein powder.
  • Keep a food journal to track the amount of protein you eat throughout the day.
  • If possible, include both lean cuts of animal-based protein and plant-based protein in your diet plan.
  • If time or other obligations make creating a meal plan difficult, consider using a customizable meal plan service.

Protein is literally the glue that holds your cells together throughout your body, ensuring various systems function optimally. While eating intentionally and counting grams of protein can take some time to get used to, it’s worth the extra effort. With some trial and error, you’re sure to find the meal-planning strategies that work for you so you can meet your protein and health goals.            

Author

Emily Mendez, M.S., Ed.S. is a mental health writer and wellness expert. She’s been quoted by leading news sites like INSIDER, Family Circle, Bustle, Fatherly, Brit + Co, Romper, Elite Daily and more. Before embarking on a career in writing, Emily was a private practice psychotherapist. When she’s not writing, Emily’s either finding new places to explore on the map, perfecting her dance moves, or binge-watching Netflix. Read more at emilymendez.com

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