A High-Protein Diet: Is It Right for You?

Is a High-Protein Diet Right for You?

Protein as an essential nutrient for health is responsible for several vital functions in the body, including hormones, enzymes, and cell repair and maintenance. High-protein diets encourage eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates and fat to boost weight loss, improve energy, and enhance athletic performance.

High-protein diets are popular today, and typically they equate to boosting the amount of protein eaten while drastically cutting or eliminating carbohydrates. These diets can help decrease hunger, increase satiety, boost metabolic rate, and preserve muscle mass, but one size does not fit all, and what works for one person may not work for you.

The 7-Day High-Protein Diet Plan

Below is one example of a high-protein diet:

What You Can Eat on a High-Protein Diet

A high-protein diet generally recommends consuming more than 20% of your total calories from protein. That typically means eating fewer calories from carbohydrates or fats.

No foods are expressly forbidden on a high-protein diet, but eating more lean proteins and fewer refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fats is recommended.

There is no suggested meal timing for a high-protein diet. However, some people also practice intermittent fasting, which involves restricting calories to specific days of the week and fasting on others, or going for extended periods without eating each day, such as 16 hours a day.

Tips to Prepare a High-Protein Diet

Any nutritious diet for weight loss or wellness should include a balance of the three macronutrients (or macros): fat, carbohydrates, and protein. A high-protein diet contains at least 20% of calories from protein. The amount of protein you should eat depends on a few factors, including age, gender, body size, and activity level.

General guidelines advise getting 10% to 35% of your total calories from protein. Active adults may require 1.2 to 1.7 grams (g) per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day. This equates to 82 to 116 grams for a person weighing 150 pounds. The official recommended daily allowance (RDA) for healthy adults is a minimum of 0.8 g/kg/day, which equates to 54 grams of protein for a person who weighs 150 pounds.

Use a calorie-tracking app or website to check your daily protein intake. Many people on a high-protein diet use apps to track their macronutrient intake to ensure they get the correct ratios of protein to carbohydrate and fat.

A typical starting ratio for a high-protein diet is 30% of calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% from carbohydrates. But a starting ratio is just that—a starting point. Many proponents of high-protein diets find they do better with a little more or a little less of a macronutrient, which means you can adjust your macros as needed while maintaining a high-protein approach.

Following a high-protein diet typically requires:

• Including protein at every meal: Planning meals around a protein, such as lean beef, chicken, or pork, and filling the rest of the plate with vegetables.
• Skipping processed carbs: Instead of eating refined grains, like white rice, pasta, and bread, include small portions of whole grains that are high in protein, like amaranth or quinoa; or replace pasta with spiraled zucchini or carrots and substitute riced cauliflower for white rice.
• Snacking on protein: Keeping high-protein snacks like almonds, Greek yogurt, hummus, ricotta cheese, and string cheese on hand for when between-meal hunger strikes.
• Starting your day with protein: Focusing on high-protein breakfast foods like eggs and smoothies made with protein powder, such as whey, pea protein, or collagen.

Sample Shopping List for a High-Protein Diet

Well-rounded high-protein diets often emphasize lean protein, nutrient-packed vegetables and berries, and whole grains. The following shopping list provides suggestions for getting started with a high-protein lifestyle. Note that this is not a definitive shopping list and you may find other foods that work better for you. Fill your cart with fresh and frozen meats, seafood, and berries to stock your fridge and freezer.

• Lean cuts of red meat (sirloin tip, top round, filet mignon)
• 75–80% lean ground beef
• Chicken breasts and thighs
• Seafood filets (salmon, cod, halibut)
• Beans (black, pinto, kidney)
• Vegetables (dark leafy greens, peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower)
• Soy milk
• Low-fat milk, cheeses, and yogurt
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, hemp seeds)
• Berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
• Whole grains (quinoa, amaranth, barley)

Sample High-Protein Meal Plan

Each meal on a high-protein diet features a serving of protein accompanied by vegetables and smaller servings of certain fruits and whole grains. You can also snack on protein in between meals to curb hunger. Nuts or low-fat string cheese are great options.

The following three-day meal plan offers a glimpse at what a high-protein diet might look like. You can choose to accompany these meals with water or a glass of wine at dinner. Keep in mind that if you decide to follow this diet, other meals may be more appropriate to suit your tastes and preferences.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Avocado and egg toast; 2 strips turkey bacon; high-protein shake with berries
• Lunch: Quinoa-stuffed chicken roll-up (use low-fat feta)
• Dinner: Oven-baked herbed salmon (4 ounces); 2 cups Mediterranean chopped salad

Day 2

• Breakfast: 1 serving "Mexican garden" egg scramble; simple green juice
• Lunch: 2 cups low-carb taco salad (use low-fat yogurt and cheese)
• Dinner: 2 Poblano portabella mushroom tacos; 1 cup vegan chili

Day 3

• Breakfast: Steak and eggs (2 eggs over-easy with a 3-ounce bone-in rib eye or sirloin, pan-seared)
• Lunch: Peanut butter banana blueberry açai smoothie (optional: add a scoop of protein powder for an extra boost)
• Dinner: 1 serving sheet pan harissa chicken and cauliflower; 2 cups blood orange and quinoa kale salad

Pros of a High-Protein Diet

There are several benefits of a high-protein diet.

• You'll feel fuller longer. Including protein in your meals and snacks can help you to feel full and satisfied, which may help with portion control.
• You'll build and maintain more muscle mass. A strong body performs better throughout daily activities, and muscles also burn more calories than fat, even at rest.
• You may be more inclined to choose nutrient-dense foods. When you plan a meal around a lean source of protein, you have less space on your plate for less nutritious foods. Learning to eat different types of protein may also improve your diet. If you eat tuna, for example, you benefit from the fish's protein and healthy fats.
• May help with weight loss and maintenance: Eating a diet filled with plenty of lean protein provides several benefits while trying to lose weight. High-protein diets help build and preserve muscle mass, boost your metabolism, and increase satiety.
• Boosts calorie burn: You burn more calories by eating protein because your body has to work harder to chew and digest the food. This is known as the thermic effect of food. Keep in mind, however, that the number of extra calories burned is small so you shouldn't create an entire weight-loss program based solely on this benefit. 

Cons of a High-Protein Diet

Like most diets, there are potential drawbacks to eating a high-protein diet.

• Possible nutrient deficiencies. A high-protein diet lacks in dietary fiber which can cause constipation and other health concerns. Getting enough dietary fiber is not only important for colonic health, but it also helps reduce inflammation and protect against cancer.
• High-fat and processed foods are sometimes encouraged. Certain versions of high-protein diets also advocate for eating high-fat foods, such as fatty cuts of beef, full-fat dairy, and processed and cured meats such as deli meat, sausage, bacon, and hot dogs. These are not the best choices for a balanced diet since foods like these are often associated with heart disease and cancer.
• Too much protein may be unsafe for those with chronic diseases. People with kidney disease should not follow a high-protein diet without first speaking to their doctor. The body converts excess protein to glucose for energy, which could cause a spike in blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
• Can be restrictive: Some high-protein diets severely restrict carbohydrates, resulting in nutritional deficiencies and a lack of fiber leading to constipation and other health concerns.
• May not be suitable for people with kidney issues: Excess protein is excreted through the kidneys, which may worsen kidney function among people with kidney disease. In addition, protein metabolism results in nitrogen (ammonia) production. Nitrogen must be excreted via the urine. As a result, people on high-protein diets are at increased risk of dehydration and need to drink more water.
• May be high in saturated fats: Though most high-protein diets advocate for lean protein choices, others include and even encourage protein sources that are high in saturated fats. A diet high in saturated fats can increase your risk of heart disease, and studies have noted an association between processed meat intake and cancer.

Is a High-Protein Diet a Healthy Choice for You?

Many experts recommend following a reduced-calorie, high-protein diet for weight loss. A diet focused on lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains is generally considered a reasonable, balanced way to lose weight.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines provide recommendations for a healthy, balanced diet. The 2020–2025 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the percentage breakdown of macronutrients as follows:

• Protein: 10–35% of daily calories
• Fat: 20–35% of daily calories
• Carbohydrates: 45–65% of daily calories

For healthy adults, the recommended dietary allowance for protein (RDA) is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, so you should eat slightly less than 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight daily, at a minimum. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds (68 kilograms), you should eat at least 54 grams of protein each day.

A high-protein diet that includes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean meats, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, and healthy oils fits within the good health guidelines. To lose weight, the USDA recommends a reduction of 500 calories per day. On a 2,000-calorie diet that equates to roughly 1,500 calories per day but varies based on age, gender, weight, and activity level. Use this calculator to determine the right number of calories for you.

There are a few different varieties of high-protein diets including the Atkins Diet, Dukan Diet, and Whole30. Here's how they compare:

• Atkins diet: The Atkins Diet is a low-carb, high-protein diet that limits total carb intake to 20 grams per day to start, increasing to 100 grams a day, and ending with a maintenance phase.
• Dukan diet: The Dukan Diet is a low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and high-protein weight loss program based on the premise that it's hard to lose weight while hungry and focuses on lean proteins and fat-free dairy, which boost satiety.
• Whole30: The Whole30 is a 30-day diet intended as a short-term "reset" of your body (aiming to reduce cravings and break sugar addiction) that eliminates sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, and most legumes, which leaves meat, vegetables, and fruit.

A Word From Verywell

The best diet for you is one that offers the nutrients and fuel your body needs while also being a plan you can stick to. For some, this is a high-protein weight loss plan. If eating more protein helps you to eat less all day and build a stronger, more active body, then it may be a good program for you.

Remember, following a long-term or short-term diet may not be necessary for you, and many diets out there simply don’t work, especially long-term. While we do not endorse fad diet trends or unsustainable weight-loss methods, we present the facts so you can make an informed decision that works best for your nutritional needs, genetic blueprint, budget, and goals.

If your goal is weight loss, remember that losing weight isn’t necessarily the same as being your healthiest self, and there are many other ways to pursue health. Exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors also play a major role in your overall health. The best diet is always the one that is balanced and fits your lifestyle.