How to Eat a High-Protein Diet for Weight Loss

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Boost your metabolism and lose fat faster with these high-protein foods

Co-authored by Laila Ajani and Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: August 5, 2025 Fact Checked

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How Much Protein to Eat

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Top High-Protein Foods for Weight Loss

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Benefits of Protein for Weight Loss

Protein is a great starting point for a balanced diet for those looking to stay healthy and lose weight. With protein-focused meal plans like Atkins and the Carnivore diet, we're always looking for new ways to incorporate more protein into our daily meals. But how much do you need to increase protein intake for weight loss? We'll explain that below, plus note the many protein-rich foods you can add to your diet and the benefits of increasing your protein intake.

High-Protein Foods

Chicken
Fish
Eggs
Greek yogurt
Lentils
Almonds
Spinach

Section 1 of 3:

How much protein should you eat to lose weight?

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To lose weight, eat 0.73 to 1 gram of protein daily per pound of body weight. If you're an athlete or perform intense exercise daily, increase that to 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound.^{[1]
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- You can determine the right amount of protein (in grams) for you by multiplying your weight in pounds by 0.36.
- Factors like age, sex, and health conditions play a part in necessary protein levels. Older adults often require more protein, while women need less than men. A high-protein diet isn’t suitable for those with chronic kidney or heart disease, who require a much lower amount of protein.^{[2]
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- No matter your activity level or weight loss goals, it’s a good idea to visit a registered dietician who can assist you in finding the right protein amount to fit your body’s needs and encourage healthy weight loss.^{[3]
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Section 2 of 3:

Top High-Protein Foods for Weight Loss

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Lean meats and fish Add chicken, turkey, bison, salmon, halibut, and tuna to your meals. A 3-oz serving of chicken breast contains 24 grams of protein, while the same amount of salmon has 20 grams.^{[4]
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- Lunch idea: Fill a whole-wheat wrap with lean turkey slices, hummus, and a tomato cucumber salad for a satisfying lunch.
- Dinner idea: Choose an Italian-style tuna salad that exchanges olive oil for mayonnaise. Mix in tomatoes, greens, white beans, and lemon juice for a flavorful meal that’s easy to prepare.
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Eggs and dairy Whether enjoyed in an omelet or hard-boiled, each egg has between 5 and 8 grams of protein, depending on its size, and is also easy for your body to digest. Skim milk is known as a great source of calcium and has 8.5 grams of protein per cup.^{[5]
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- Breakfast idea: You may feel like you're cheating when you make protein pancakes, but they're actually a healthy option. Enjoy this protein-packed treat for breakfast or any meal you like!
- Lunch idea: Prepare a healthy frittata with eggs, peppers, onions, and spinach for a hearty midday meal.
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Nuts, seeds, and beans High-fiber legumes, along with nuts and seeds, can satiate your appetite as much as meat or fish.^{[6]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public

Go to source} A cup of lentils has a whopping 18 grams of protein per cup, while chickpeas and black beans contain 14.5 grams per cup. Most nuts have between 4 and 6 grams of protein per ounce; almonds and pistachios hold the top spots at 6 grams each per ounce. Most seeds have at least 5 grams of protein per ounce, but sunflower seeds come in at 6 grams per ounce. Nuts, seeds, and beans provide much-needed protein for vegetarians and vegans, in particular.^{[7]
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- Lunch idea: Ditch the store-bought stuff and make homemade hummus by first cooking chickpeas. Dip whole-grain crackers or bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, or celery slices for a light yet sumptuous meal.
- Dinner idea: Go meatless with a dinner where red lentils are the star ingredient. Whether in a soup or a curry, lentils offer the nutrition you need, along with vibrant flavors.
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Vegetables Packed with nutrients, many vegetables are surprisingly also a source of protein. Spinach contains 6 grams of protein per cup, while broccoli has 4 grams of protein per average-sized stalk—that’s a lot when you incorporate an entire 1-cup serving of broccoli into your meal! Don’t forget that asparagus also has 4.3 grams of protein in each cup, while a cup of corn has 5 grams.^{[8]
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- Lunch idea: Turn lunchtime on its head with a yummy cucumber sandwich on whole grain bread with a low-fat cream cheese spread. Who says your veggies can’t taste amazing?
- Dinner idea: Warm up any chilly evening by making vegetable soup and freezing a few extra servings for a quick and healthy meal anytime you need one.
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Drinks Drink your protein for an added boost. When you need a quick meal replacement or a satisfying snack, enjoy a smoothie using a few of your favorite high-protein ingredients.^{[9]
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Research source} Smoothies and shakes shouldn’t be your only source of protein, though, especially because too much can lead to bloating, nausea, or other digestion issues.^{[10]
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- Even if you use protein powder as a base for your smoothie, other great add-ons include Greek yogurt, chia or flax seeds, nut butter, low-fat or non-dairy milk, nuts, and even tofu.
- Most protein powders contain between 20 and 30 grams in each serving. Greek yogurt has 13 grams of protein per half cup, while peanut butter has 8 grams per 2 tablespoons and cashews have 6 grams per quarter cup. It’s even quite possible to make a protein shake without protein powder.
- Smoothie idea: Whip up a delicious peanut butter banana shake using Greek yogurt, cashews, and protein powder. The protein in this powerhouse of a smoothie can add up to nearly 50 grams in a single smoothie!^{[11]
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Toppings Use high-protein toppings as a way to include protein in each meal or snack when you don’t want to change your favorites up all at once.
- Sprinkle nuts, seeds, or nutritional yeast over your meal. Top your salad, rice, or avocado toast with an egg or chia seeds for additional protein. Chia seeds have 10 grams of protein per 4 tablespoons.^{[12]
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- Add low-fat cheeses for a creamy twist. Build on delicious flavors with a spoonful or two of low-fat cottage or ricotta cheese for a luxurious bonus to soups, salads, or pasta dishes. You’ll add between 9 and 11 grams of additional protein to your meal in a snap.^{[13]
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Tara Coleman
Clinical Nutritionist
Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist who has a private practice in San Diego, California. With over 15 years of experience, Tara specializes in sports nutrition, body confidence, and immune system health and offers personalized nutrition, corporate wellness, and online learning courses. She received a BS in Biology from James Madison University and spent six years in the pharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist before founding her practice. Tara has been featured on NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Dr. Oz The Good Life as well as in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Self, and Runner’s World.

Tara Coleman
Clinical Nutritionist

It’s easy to add additional protein to every meal or snack, which helps increase your total protein for the day. Instead of just an apple, have an apple and some nuts. Instead of oatmeal, add some hemp seeds or peanut butter to it. Instead of just pasta, you can do a lentil-based pasta that has a little bit more protein to it.

Section 3 of 3:

What are the benefits of a high-protein diet for losing weight?

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When you increase protein intake for weight loss, you target belly fat. Eating protein helps you burn more calories. Plus, because protein breaks down slower than carbohydrates do, you’ll feel fuller for a longer period, which makes weight loss easier.^{[14]
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- During digestion, you burn 20 to 30% of protein calories at a much faster rate than the carbohydrates or fats you consume.^{[15]
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Protein is transformed into amino acids, which aids in building muscle while you’re trying to lose weight.^{[16]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public

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Jeff Siegel
Holistic Life Coach
Jeff Siegel is a Holistic Life Coach and the Founder of Jeff Siegel Wellness. With nearly 10 years of experience, he specializes in mind-body medicine, life coaching, health and wellness coaching, mindfulness, corporate training, and transformational public speaking. He received a Master of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Master of Buddhist Studies from The University of Hong Kong, and a BSc in Neuroscience & Biology from Emory University. He’s also a certified personal trainer, a certified Eating Psychology Coach, and a certified Koru Mindfulness Teacher.

Jeff Siegel
Holistic Life Coach

Eating a high-protein diet directly affects how much your body absorbs amino acids. Paying attention to the types of proteins in foods, how digestible they are, and how your body can extract them is important.