How Much Protein Is Too Much
Protein is vital for good health. But if you consume excessive amounts of this nutrient, it can be harmful. According to Harvard Medical School, diets that have excessive levels of protein have been linked with a higher risk of kidney stones.
Also, if you consume lots of protein derived from red meat, the saturated fat that this food contains could increase your risk of heart disease and colon cancer. Fortunately, plant-based high-protein meals dont carry this risk.
Right now, the recommended amount of protein is no more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. That works out to a maximum of 125 grams of protein per day for a person who weighs 140 pounds.
Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl
This healthy vegetarian breakfast contains 29 grams of protein per serving. Cottage cheese is rich in protein as well as in other important nutrients such as calcium and vitamins B12 and B6. Chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, and berries further top up the protein content and contain healthy fats which will boost your energy levels throughout the morning.
- 9min
Slow Cooker Chipotle Bean Chili
This slowed cooked Mexican vegan chilli is spiced, smokey and so easy to make! All you need is a slow cooker, a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes to prep. Its high in protein, containing 23 grams per portion and low in calories, containing just 347 per portion. Its easy for batch cooking, which is why I love to meal prep this recipe! Simply toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker, turn on and leave to cook. Its that easy!
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High Protein Breakfast Recipes
1. Strawberry S’Mores Crepes with Chocolate Almond Butter
Some mornings call for breakfast thats a little more like dessert. With these high protein crepes, you dont have to give up on gains while you indulge your sweet tooth. Fresh strawberries, a few mini marshmallows, and chocolate almond butter make this sweet treat a fun weekend breakfast. Get the full recipe »
2. Sausage and Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
This massive breakfast casserole will last you all week. Filled with protein from eggs and sausage, it also gets a nutritious boost from dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and coconut oil. Cook this up on a weekend and you wont have to worry about your workday mornings. Get the full recipe »
3. High Protein Overnight Oats
This versatile no-cook recipe is as perfect for breakfast as it is post-workout. You can make this whole batch in under 10 minutes and youll have plenty of muscle-building oatmeal to get through the week. Get the full recipe »
4. Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos
Although this is more template than recipe, make-ahead breakfast burritos are a convenient way to eat healthy on the go. These meal-prep friendly burritos are freezer-friendly and customizable. For added protein, sneak in extra egg whites, beans, or meat. Add some avocado slices for healthy fat just before eating. Get the full recipe »
5. Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash
6. 2-Minute Omelet in a Mug
Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad
Summer is the perfect time to dust up the grill and have a barbecue.
But your typical holiday fare hot dogs and hamburgers and hamburgers arent that healthy.
So what else can you make? You can make this Summer Chipotle Chicken Cobb Salad.
It is chock-full of yumminess, from the spicy chicken, creamy avocado, crispy bacon, sweet strawberries and corn, and the mixed greens.
What I love most about this dish is that it takes less than 30 minutes to make. So you can have dinner ready in a jiffy.
Whats more, you dont have to turn on the stove to make it. So, you can escape your hot kitchen.
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Banana Pecan Protein Muffins
As a bodybuilder, you want to optimize all your meals including your snacks. And these Banana Pecan Protein Muffins allow you to eat your cake, ahem muffins and have them too.
Theyre moist and bursting with banana flavors. And the pecans add a lovely crunch bet you cant have just one.
Good thing one muffin contains just 174 calories. It also has a ton of protein too.
Thats because youre using protein-rich ingredients. These include ground flaxseeds and vanilla protein powder.
Besides being a nice snack, these muffins make a great breakfast. Serve with a warm beverage or a smoothie.
Per Serving:
Beef And Broccoli Stir Fry
Theres nothing quite like a delicious stir fry to keep your day going on the right foot. Featuring flank steak and veggie stir fry, this recipe is full of beefy goodness, while you also get to enjoy your 5 a day!
Whats even better is that once you prep this meal, you can simply put it into a container where it will stay fresh for around 5 days. It contains around 20 grams of protein in total and its very low in sugar, so its pretty healthy. You can serve it alongside some brown rice if you want some extra calories and carbohydrates.
Tip: To get the most flavor out of steak its important to give it a good sear! To help, we have created a in depth guide on the best cookware for high heat cooking.
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The Best Sources Of Vegan Protein
Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, and even soya milk are high in protein. Fermented soy products such as tempeh are particularly nutritious and promote a healthy gut. Some foods, such as soya milk, are also frequently fortified with iron, B12, and other essentials.
Beans, legumes, and pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, and red kidney beans are all extremely versatile. When combined with grains such as pasta, rice, or quinoa, legumes make a particularly effective, affordable, and simple high-protein meal.
A 100-gram serving of cooked chickpeas provided 18 percent of the daily value for protein, 30 percent of the daily fiber, 43 percent of the daily folate intake, and 52 percent of the trace mineral manganese,plant-based cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn writes for LIVEKINDLY. They are also rich in resistant starch the provide fuel to intestinal bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate that favor a healthy gut.
Nuts and seeds are another versatile source of protein. They contain healthy fat and calories, and almonds are a particularly good source for calcium. Poppy seeds are also high in calcium, while chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Vegan meat is increasingly popular with vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike. It is, on average, more expensive than whole and other soy-based proteins but can still be a useful replacement for animal products. Seitan, or wheat gluten, is easy to make at home and is high in protein.
Fig & Brie Stuffed Chicken Breasts
I love having guests over to share a meal, as Im sure many of you do too. Besides enjoying each others company, you get to enjoy good food too.
These Fig & Brie Stuffed Chicken Breasts are sure to delight your guests. Theyre juicy and full of flavor, from the creaminess of the Brie, sweetness of the figs, and savory of the chicken.
Its a party in your mouth.
To keep your chicken breasts moist, avoid overcooking them. Just bake them until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I recommend this meat thermometer because its effortless to clean and is waterproof too.
Serve with a side Garden Salad.
Per Serving:
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Mexican Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
This one is for all of the vegetarians out there looking for delicious meal ideas to get them through the week. This is the perfect meal for any time of the day, not just for breakfast! It includes a bunch of fibre and is simply too good to resist. Thankfully, you can also prepare the quinoa the night before so you can save yourself a whole bunch of time.
Romesco Chicken Tray Bake
I love chicken tray bakes, especially when you can cook the accompaniments in the same dish. This one is a recipe by Good Housekeeping and is full of Spanish flavors. I serve it with broccoli for extra nutrients, volume, and deliciousness.
Ludlam-Raine said: “Tray bakes are a mid-week favourite as they take such little time to prepare and you can add any vegetables you have left in your fridge. If you don’t eat chicken, you could swap this for cod or salmon.”
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Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Total daily energy expenditure is the total amount of calories you use daily. Figuring out this number is a two-step process. Step one is calculating basal metabolic rate , the daily calories your body requires at rest. Step two is accounting for calories burned through all physical activity. This includes everything, such as walking, HIIT, circuit training, and strength training.
Although there are many formulas you can use to find BMR, the one below is simple and effective.
- BMR for Men = Body Weight in lbs x 10
- BMR for Women = Body Weight in lbs x 9
After calculating BMR, use one of these multipliers below to factor in physical activity.
Calculating BMR:
Here is an example of how to use this two-step equation for a 200-pound male.
In this example, if this person consistently ate 3000 calories, theoretically, he would not gain or lose any weight, because this is his maintenance calories. Its important to note that this is just an equation, so it may vary a bit person-to-person. For example, those working to build muscle mass may be able to eat more than someone who does not resistance train. Use this number as a starting point, and monitor your weight to get a more accurate sense of your maintenance.
Spicy Sesame Zoodles With Crispy Tofu
Serves: 6Nutrition: 500 calories, 32 g fat , 750 mg sodium, 21 g carbs , 30 g protein
Looking for some plant-based protein? Look no further than this spicy zoodle recipe. Cubes of extra firm tofu are seared up, combined with fresh spiralized zucchini, and then covered in a sauce made with protein-packed peanut butter, sesame oil, freshly grated ginger, and spicy chili paste. Trust us, one bite and you’ll see that this will be your new go-to weeknight meal. Here’s a tip: When grabbing tofu, make sure to pick up a package that’s GMO-free and organic .
Get the recipe from Pinch of Yum.
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Fast High Protein Muscle Building Breakfast Ideas
Do you bang your head against the wall trying to figure out the best ways to squeeze in a muscle building breakfast without having a significant amount of time? Its tough to find ways to support recovery from your brutal workouts with little-to-no time on the mornings for lengthy prepping, cooking and cleaning.
Crappy, so called convenience health foods have flooded the market promising you endless energy and high amounts of protein. In reality, these foods rarely provide a protein count in the double digits and leave you feeling hungry. If you arent careful youll find yourself hitting the vending machine or choosing other unhealthy options which will wreak havoc on your physique.
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Summer Strawberry Chicken Salad
Summer is a great time to indulge in a salad or two. And this Summer, Strawberry Chicken Salad is as good as they come.
It has the perfect ratio of greens and protein. And it tastes pretty good.
The sweetness of the strawberries and strawberry marinade offsets the bitterness of the salad greens. Meanwhile, the goat cheese elevates this dish.
And the grilled chicken makes it pretty filling. The homemade dressing complements the salad beautifully.
Its creamy, tangy, and sweet. Its so refreshing you definitely wont miss the bottled stuff.
Per Serving:
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Turkey And Bean Chili
Serves: 6Nutrition: 360 calories, 9 g fat , 690 mg sodium, 47 g carbs , 30 g protein
Nothing warms you up quite like a hearty bowl of turkey chili. Topping your bowl with a dollop of protein-packed Greek yogurt balances out the subtle chili spices that not only warm up the flavors of ground turkey and kidney beans, but that also get your calorie-burning furnace revving by boosting your metabolism.
Get the recipe from Ambitious Kitchen.
Low Carb Italian Beef Bake
I am a big fan of Italian food, as Im sure many of you are too. But if youre trying to keep an eye on your carbs, Italian food can be a minefield of carbs.
Thats because Italian cuisine is centered on carb-heavy foods such as pasta. And as yummy as Italian food is, its not worth getting rid of your skinny jeans.
With this Low Carb Italian Beef Bake, you can eat your cake, ahem, casserole and have it too.
Its cheesy, meaty, saucy, and so delicious. You wont believe its low carbs.
Yet, it is. In fact, one serving contains less than 9 grams of net carbs. So, youll still be able to slide into your skinny jeans.
To keep it low carb, youll be layering your casserole with cauliflower rice. Besides being low in carbs, cauliflower rice is good for you too.
It is rich in Vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy immune system. And it contains folate, which you need to make DNA.
Start by chopping some cauliflower into tiny pieces. Then pulse those pieces in a food processor until they become like rice. This food processor is super powerful, so it should be pretty quick.
Buon appetito!
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Sweet Potato And Chorizo Hash
If youre a big lover of a fry up but you arent quite prepared for the many calories that often come with them, this Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash is the ideal alternative. All you need to do is prep the ingredients the night before ready to go the next morning or whenever you want to eat it. This recipe is also pretty high in protein so its ideal if youre looking to make some gains in the gym!
Marinated Air Fryer Chicken
Sometimes you dont have time to prep a whole meal. In that case, its a good idea to prep some protein -like chicken.
That way, you can add your chicken to your meals. For instance, you can add some greens and make a salad.
The possibilities are endless. This Air Fryer Chicken is extra-juicy and flavorful.
Thats because youre marinating the chicken in olive oil, orange juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, lime juice, cumin, and garlic.
This takes the chicken from bland to wow! Once your chicken is done marinating, just pop it in the air fryer until its nice and golden.
Then youve got your protein prepped for the week.
Per Serving:
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Salmon With Lemon Caper Vinaigrette And Chickpeas
Serves: 4Nutrition: 529 calories, 31 g fat , 346 mg sodium, 22 g carbs , 41 g protein
Interested in building up lean muscle mass while protecting your brain? This recipe is for you. A piece of omega-3-rich salmon sits atop a bed of peppery mustard greens and chickpeas and is slow roasted in a low-temperature oven. It’s all topped off with the perfect balance of tart and salty lemon caper vinaigrette. Eat up, and you’ll get in over 40 grams of protein and 118 percent of your recommended daily intake of inflammation-quelling vitamin A.
Get the recipe from Inquiring Chef.
How Does Protein Help Our Body
Protein is a macronutrient that helps the body perform basic functions, such as building muscle and repairing tissue.
There are many types of protein sources in the diet, including meat, fish, eggs, beans, and soy.
Protein can be found in all foods but some have more than others.
The best way to consume protein is by eating various healthy foods throughout the day.
The best high-protein meals are not only filling but also delicious.
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How Many Calories Should I Eat Every Day To Gain Weight
The number of daily calorie consumption depends on person to person. However, the universal formula eat more calories than your body releases during the entire day applies to all who try to gain weight.
For example, If I eat 2500 calories a day and my body burns the entire 2500 calories, then Ill be less likely to gain weight. But I need to eat 3000 to 3500 calories to increase my weight.
For healthy weight gain, Ive to incorporate the highest protein foods in my daily diet. Foods that also contain a good amount of fats, carbs, and other essential nutrients.
Depending on your goal, you can increase the daily calorie intake. And once you started following a calorie surplus diet, youll soon start seeing positive results.
Steak And Bean Burrito Bowl
Serves: 4Nutrition: 450 calories, 13 g fat , 563 mg sodium, 42 g carbs , 41 g protein
What better way to eat some of our favorite protein-packed foodsblack beans and grass-fed beefthan in a burrito bowl. This tortilla-less dish is not only delicious but also budget friendly. Even though grass-fed beef can be pricey, this recipe doesn’t only rely on the beef. That way, you can save money and be just as satisfied by the ample amount of veggies it’s served with.
Get the recipe from Gimme Delicious.
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Vegan Protein Salad Bowl
Need a vegan meal that will bulk you up? This Vegan Protein Salad Bowl is a great option.
It contains a whopping 40 grams of protein. So it rivals the amount of protein in any meat-based meal.
And the baked tofu and tempeh taste amazing. Theres the perfect balance of sweet, savory, salty, and umami.
Like it spicy? Feel free to add some Sriracha sauce!
And the broccoli, arugula, and cucumber make this dish refreshing.
Besides being rich in protein, this salad is rich in fiber. In fact, one serving provides almost 100% of your daily needs.
So, youll be doing your tummy a world of good. Check out more high protein salads here.
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