- Eating 90 grams of protein a day without using protein powder is possible with some strategic planning.
- Eggs and strained (Greek-style) yogurt are high-protein foods to eat in the morning.
- For lunch and dinner, lean protein choices like fish, chicken and beans are satisfying choices.
I found myself in the office of a registered dietitian a few months ago. Even though I feel like I have an honorary degree in nutrition after working at EatingWell for more than 20 years, I needed some personalized advice. I’m turning 50 in January, already in menopause and my cholesterol has crept up to an “it might be time for medication” number.
As my dietitian and I reviewed my intake form, she zeroed in on my protein intake. She asked me what I typically ate each day, and I walked her through my usual meals. Eggs for breakfast, a salad for lunch plus a balanced dinner of lean protein, veggies and whole grains was my usual fare. She said it sounded like a great start—but how much protein was I really eating? Based on my weight, she suggested I try to get 90 grams of protein each day—about 30 grams at each meal to help with satiety and to avoid age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia).
It didn’t sound too hard—until I started crunching the numbers. I was regularly eating only around 50 grams of protein each day. I needed to almost double it! I didn’t love the idea of using protein powder. Not because I have anything against protein powder, but I don’t really eat a lot of things that felt natural to add it to. For instance, I’m not a smoothie person—I eat eggs for breakfast almost every day.
So over the past few months, I’ve dialed in my 90 grams a day without using protein powder—here’s my strategy.
Morning
I am the default morning drop-off parent, whether it’s during the school year or if our daughter is off to summer camp. We usually leave before I’m ready to eat breakfast, so if I’m headed to the office, I eat breakfast once I get there. I almost always eat eggs for breakfast, so I found myself gravitating toward making one of the following options on Sundays so I would have a to-go meal at my fingertips all week long.
- Frittata: A great way to use up all the bits and bobs in your fridge, this frittata recipe gives you the formula to do just that. After baking, I let it cool, slice it and pop it into the fridge. I bring a slice to work and reheat it in the microwave for a minute or so.
- Egg Bites: Sure, egg bites aren’t much different than the frittata. But changing up the format makes it feel like I’m not eating the same breakfast every day. I really love broccoli with eggs, so I particularly gravitate toward these. I was gifted a silicone muffin tin, which makes popping them out easy peasy, but if you don’t have one, just make sure to generously coat your muffin tin with cooking spray before adding the eggs.
- Scrambled Eggs: Once summer started, I wanted to spend less time in my kitchen meal prepping over the weekend. That’s when I discovered these mug scrambled eggs. Instead of a mug, I whisk everything up in a mason jar so I can pop on a lid to make them portable. I usually use kale instead of spinach since that’s what I have on hand.
Each of these options provides 15 to 20 grams of protein. To get me to my 30 grams, I’ll have a mid-morning snack of strained (Greek-style) yogurt along with a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or hemp hearts stirred in.
Afternoon
I love a big salad for lunch. But even though I was adding protein, I wasn’t adding enough protein. To make sure I’m getting enough, I rotate through one of these three recipes, which helps fight lunchtime boredom.
- Baked tofu: I love love love tofu, especially baked, seasoned tofu. While I have made a few different recipes, Balsamic-Honey Roasted Tofu is my favorite (with Soy-Lime Roasted Tofu a close second). I try to press the tofu for an hour first before marinating, which helps it absorb more flavor. I’ll scatter the cubes over a salad or just eat them along with some crudites and fruit. I usually eat 2 servings which is 16 grams of protein.
- Tuna salad: Our senior editor Megan Ginsberg started making our high-protein tuna and chickpea salad, so I gave it a try and it’s now one of my and my husband’s favorites. I’ll switch up the flavor profile, adding fresh or dried herbs or lots of lemon juice. I usually skip the bread and put a big scoop over salad greens or eat it with cucumber slices and mini bell peppers for lunch. Each serving of the chickpea-tuna salad alone provides about 15 grams of protein.
- Marinated beans: Another great thing to have in the fridge is a jar of these Herb Marinated Beans. Since I buy chickpeas in bulk from Costco, I usually make the recipe with those, but cannellini beans or even lentils are also fantastic. I spoon the beans over salad greens or a high-protein whole grain like quinoa or farro. They’re also great to have on hand for when I need a little extra protein at dinner, since these beans make a great side, too. I usually eat about a cup of chickpeas, which provides about 14 grams of protein.
I usually add other protein sources to my salads, like cheese, nuts or seeds, so my salad total usually reaches 30 grams of protein. But if I need a little extra, I’ll stuff dates with peanut butter or have a cheese stick as an afternoon snack.
Evening
It’s typically pretty easy to get 30 grams of protein at dinner. Here are a few categories I turn to each week when meal planning.
- Casseroles: This category is so easy to pack in the protein. Just combine a grain or pasta, lots of veggies, lean meat or beans and top it all off with some cheese that gets golden and gooey under the broiler—it doesn’t get much better than that! When I found myself with leftover quinoa, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella to use up, I gave this Chicken & Quinoa Casserole a try and it was a surprising hit at my house. It’s packed with veggies, too—truly a complete meal—so I didn’t feel like I had to make a side dish. A bonus: the leftovers were fantastic.
- Grain bowls: With their build-your-own ethos, grain bowls are another dinner that makes it easy to get lots of protein. I typically pair a high-protein whole grain like farro or quinoa with chicken, salmon or beans, some cheese and lots of veggies. If I’m making a plant-based version, I like to make a garlicky, herby strained (Greek-style) yogurt to dollop on top for an extra protein boost. Unsure where to start? I recommend our Lemony Salmon Rice Bowl, Green Goddess Farro Bowl or Chicken-Quinoa Bowls with Strawberries and Pecans.
- Tacos: We eat tacos at least once a week. While fish tacos have become a favorite, we also make them with ground turkey or shredded chicken. Our daughter prefers strained yogurt to sour cream, so that coupled with cheese and a side of beans always ensures we get enough protein at dinner.
If for some reason dinner ends up being lower in protein, there’s still time for dessert! Chia pudding, chickpea blondies or even a yogurt parfait are great ways to sneak in a little bit more.
The Bottom Line
Eating 90 grams of protein a day may sound daunting—especially if you’re not using protein powder. But with some strategic planning throughout your day, it can be done. Using high-protein foods like strained (Greek-style) yogurt and other dairy products, nuts and seeds like hemp seeds and peanut butter, and whole grains like farro and quinoa can easily bump up protein count.
