High protein meals: 30 recipes with the protein per serving

What counts as a high protein meal on this list?

On this list, a high protein meal has at least 20 g of protein in one serving, and every recipe below meets that floor. There is no legal threshold for a meal cooked at home, so recipe roundups set their own: Healthline's list keeps meals with at least 20 g per serving, EatingWell's high-fiber dinners at least 15 g, and Weight Watchers' list at least 40 g, all checked October 22, 2026. A floor like that sorts meals; it is not a daily amount for you.

Each recipe is for one serving: the ingredients in grams, then a few steps under its name below the table. The calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat are added up from those grams with the values per 100 g of USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy. Each ingredient names its state, raw, cooked or dry, because the figures differ. Cooking oil is counted; salt, pepper, herbs and spices are not.

IZeat wrote these recipes and computed their figures from USDA values; creators' tested versions will replace them as they are published.

Which high protein meals work for breakfast?

These 8 breakfasts start from eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or tofu. The tofu scramble with spinach and peppers brings the most protein of the group.

Tofu scramble with spinach and peppers (vegan)

1. Heat the oil in a pan and soften the chopped onion and pepper.
2. Crumble in the tofu and stir until it is hot.
3. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts.

Banana, peanut butter and Greek yogurt smoothie (vegetarian)

1. Put the Greek yogurt, milk, banana and peanut butter in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

Greek yogurt bowl with oats, blueberries and walnuts (vegetarian)

1. Spoon the Greek yogurt into a bowl.
2. Scatter the dry oats over it.
3. Top with the blueberries and the chopped walnuts.

Oat and cottage cheese pancakes with blueberries (vegetarian)

1. Blend the oats, eggs and cottage cheese into a batter.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and cook small pancakes, turning once, until set all the way through.
3. Serve with the blueberries on top.

Cottage cheese toast with tomato (vegetarian)

1. Toast the bread, or use it as it is.
2. Spread the cottage cheese over the bread.
3. Top with the sliced tomato.

Overnight oats made with Greek yogurt (vegetarian)

1. Stir the oats, Greek yogurt and milk together in a jar.
2. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
3. Slice the banana over the top before eating.

Egg and black bean breakfast burrito (vegetarian)

1. Heat the oil in a pan and scramble the eggs until cooked through.
2. Warm the black beans.
3. Fill the tortilla with the eggs, beans, grated cheddar and chopped tomato, then roll it up.

Spinach and feta omelette with toast (vegetarian)

1. Beat the eggs.
2. Heat the oil in a pan and wilt the spinach in it.
3. Pour in the eggs, crumble the feta over them and cook until the eggs are set.
4. Serve with the bread, toasted.

Longer lists of breakfast recipes belong to the Recipes section's high protein breakfast guide, as it is published.

Which high protein meals work for lunch?

These 8 lunches are bowls, salads, a wrap and a sandwich, with chicken, tofu, tuna, turkey, eggs or lentils at the centre.

Chicken burrito bowl with black beans and rice

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the sliced chicken breast until cooked through.
2. Warm the rice and the black beans.
3. Put the rice, beans and chicken in a bowl and top with the chopped tomatoes and sliced avocado.

Roast chicken, mozzarella and tomato sandwich

1. Slice the roast chicken, the mozzarella and the tomato.
2. Layer them between the slices of bread.

Chicken Caesar-style salad with a yogurt dressing

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chicken breast until cooked through, then slice it.
2. Stir the lemon juice and grated parmesan into the Greek yogurt to make the dressing.
3. Toss the lettuce with the dressing and top with the chicken and croutons.

Tofu and edamame rice bowl (vegan)

1. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the cubed tofu.
2. Cook the edamame from frozen, drain them and warm the rice.
3. Put the rice in a bowl with the tofu, edamame and grated carrot, and pour the soy sauce over.

Tuna and chickpea salad with lemon

1. Mix the drained tuna with the rinsed chickpeas.
2. Add the diced cucumber and tomatoes.
3. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice.

Turkey wrap with a yogurt sauce

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the thinly sliced turkey breast until cooked through.
2. Spread the Greek yogurt over the tortilla.
3. Add the lettuce, sliced tomato and turkey, then roll it up.

Quinoa, egg and chickpea salad (vegetarian)

1. Boil the eggs until the yolks are set, then peel and halve them.
2. Mix the cooked quinoa with the chickpeas and spinach.
3. Dress with the olive oil and top with the eggs and crumbled feta.

Lentil salad with feta and peppers (vegetarian)

1. Toss the cooked lentils with the diced cucumber and pepper.
2. Crumble the feta over the top.
3. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice.

More lunch recipes belong to the Recipes section's high protein lunch guide, as it is published.

Which high protein meals work for dinner?

These 8 dinners are cooked plates of fish, poultry, lean beef, shrimp, tofu or chickpeas with vegetables. All but the turkey and black bean chili come with potatoes, rice or pasta; that one has beans and tomatoes instead.

Turkey and black bean chili

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion and pepper.
2. Add the diced turkey breast and cook until it is no longer pink outside.
3. Stir in the canned tomatoes and black beans and simmer until the turkey is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Sheet pan chicken with potatoes, zucchini and peppers

1. Cut the potatoes, zucchini and peppers into pieces and toss them with the oil.
2. Spread them on a baking tray with the chicken breast.
3. Roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

Tofu and broccoli stir-fry with rice (vegan)

1. Heat the oil in a pan and brown the cubed tofu.
2. Add the broccoli, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until the broccoli is tender.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and serve with the warmed rice.

Shrimp and spinach tomato pasta

1. Boil the pasta until tender and drain it.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, soften the garlic, then add the canned tomatoes and let them simmer.
3. Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and opaque all the way through.
4. Stir in the spinach and the pasta until the spinach wilts.

Beef and broccoli rice bowl

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the beef with the garlic and ginger until browned and cooked through.
2. Add the broccoli with a splash of water, cover and cook until tender.
3. Stir in the soy sauce and serve over the warmed rice.

Lean beef bolognese with pasta

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion.
2. Add the beef and cook until browned and cooked through.
3. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer until thick.
4. Boil the pasta until tender, drain it and serve with the sauce and the parmesan.

Salmon with potatoes and broccoli

1. Boil the potatoes, cut into pieces, until tender.
2. Brush the salmon with the oil and roast or pan-fry it until it flakes and is cooked through.
3. Steam the broccoli until tender and serve everything together.

Chickpea and spinach curry with yogurt and rice (vegetarian)

1. Heat the oil in a pot and soften the chopped onion with curry spices.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer until the sauce thickens.
3. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.
4. Serve with the rice and the Greek yogurt on top.

More dinner recipes belong to the Recipes section's high protein dinner list, as it is published.

Which high protein snacks reach 20 g of protein?

These 6 snacks still reach 20 g of protein, so they sit between a snack and a small meal.

Tuna and yogurt on toast

1. Mix the drained tuna with the Greek yogurt.
2. Toast the bread.
3. Spread the tuna over the toast and top with the sliced cucumber.

Roast chicken and mozzarella lettuce rolls

1. Lay the lettuce leaves flat.
2. Fill each leaf with roast chicken and mozzarella, then roll it up.

Greek yogurt with walnuts and honey (vegetarian)

1. Spoon the Greek yogurt into a bowl.
2. Top with the chopped walnuts and drizzle the honey over.

Eggs and edamame snack box (vegetarian)

1. Boil the eggs until the yolks are set, then peel them.
2. Cook the edamame from frozen and drain them.
3. Pack the eggs and edamame with the sliced cucumber.

Cocoa yogurt shake (vegetarian)

1. Put the milk, Greek yogurt, cocoa powder and banana in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

Cottage cheese with blueberries (vegetarian)

1. Spoon the cottage cheese into a bowl.
2. Top with the blueberries.

Smaller snacks, from 10 g of protein, are on the high protein snacks list, grouped by the effort they take.

Which IZeat recipes are high in protein?

These IZeat recipes have at least 20 g of protein per serving and have their own pages, with their ingredients in grams and their figures; the steps of 6 of them are for IZeat members:

The recipe figures come from the same USDA values as the recipes above, or from the product label for a branded ingredient such as the whey in the mug cake or the smoked chicken in the carbonara. They describe the recipe as written; a different portion or more oil changes them.

How do you adapt a high protein recipe to your portions?

Change the grams of the main protein food first: it moves the total more than anything else on the plate. This method works for any recipe above.

1. Find the food that brings most of the protein, such as the chicken, the tofu or the yogurt, and set its grams.
2. Add a second protein food when the first is small: Greek yogurt in a sauce, cheese on top, an egg in a bowl or edamame in a salad.
3. Scale the starch and the vegetables to the plate you want; rice, pasta, oats and bread add some protein too.
4. Count the oil and the sauce: they change the calories much more than the protein.
5. Weigh in one state, raw or cooked, and use the figure for that state.

The souvlaki bowl shows the pattern. Its 150 g of raw chicken breast bring 33.8 g of protein and the 121 g of nonfat Greek yogurt in the sauce bring 12.3 g, out of 53.7 g for the whole serving. Potatoes, cucumber, tomato and onion make the plate bigger and add little protein.

Raw and cooked figures differ because cooking removes water: raw chicken breast has 22.5 g of protein per 100 g, roasted it has 31 g. The raw-or-cooked guide covers rice, pasta and the other foods where the difference is larger.

Where are the lists for a specific need?

Lists by need each get their own page in the Recipes section as they are published:

• High protein low calorie meals keep the calories per serving low.
• High protein low carb meals keep starch and sugar low.
• Easy high protein meals take few ingredients and little time.
• High protein vegetarian and vegan meals start from eggs, dairy, soy and legumes.
• High protein, high fiber meals pair the protein with vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
• High protein meal prep, egg bites, soup, crockpot meals, pizza and pasta each have their own list.
• Protein bowls build the meal in layers around one protein food.

Which foods carry the most protein per 100 g belongs to the Foods section, in its high protein foods guide.

How do you add up the protein in your day?

Add the protein of each meal you ate, from a list like this one or from the label, and compare the day's total with a target only if you have one. How much protein to aim for depends on you: the protein intake calculator gives a reference from your weight, and the protein for weight loss guide sets out what published studies say. This page does not set a target.

IZeat is the five-star chef calorie tracker that suggests satisfying, great-tasting meals, so you enjoy every calorie you have left. It works inside ChatGPT, Claude or any other assistant: IZeat knows your numbers for the day, which foods fill you up and what you like.

After you connect your assistant, say what you ate in one sentence. IZeat logs the meal and returns calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat for the day, with the source of each figure; with a protein target set, it shows what remains. Ask what to cook next and your assistant can propose IZeat recipes that fit what is left: options to choose from, not what you must eat.