How to Eat More Protein: 17 Simple Ways to Get More on Your Plate

There’s no shortage of attention around protein — you’ve probably noticed it’s being added to everything from breakfast cereals to coffee.

Protein is essential for things like providing structure to cells and producing vitamins, hormones, and enzymes within the body. A protein-rich diet may also be helpful for weight management.

If you came here to learn how to eat more protein, you should have an understanding of how much of the macronutrient you actually need and why. If you find your protein intake could use a boost, there are plenty of ways to add more without spending a ton of time, money, or effort.

We’ll outline what to know about recommended protein intake, how to determine whether you’re getting enough, and 17 strategies for how to eat more protein.

First things first: To answer whether you need more protein, you should know how the recommendations for daily protein intake for women are determined. Protein needs can vary between women of different ages, body frames, activity levels, health goals, and life stages.

So, how much protein in a day should you aim for? A good place to start is the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). That’s the average daily intake of a nutrient most healthy people need. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determines the RDA for nutrients based on scientific research and expert consensus.

The amount of protein per day an average sedentary (non-active) woman needs to support her basic functions is 46 grams. This is based on the RDA of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

However, newer research suggests the baseline RDA for protein should be increased — possibly to about 100 grams a day. Why? Daily protein needs in the United States haven’t been evaluated since 2005, and many studies support recommendations above the RDA.

Still, going overboard on your protein intake (especially from animal-derived sources) may come with potential health risks, particularly if you have existing kidney issues.

In the meantime, here’s a breakdown of how protein needs can vary among women:

• Active women. If you exercise regularly or lift heavy weights to gain muscle, you may need more protein to meet your needs, typically around 1.4 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women. You need more protein during these life stages to support fetal growth and development and milk production, with an RDA of 71 grams per day.

• Women with weight loss goals. A higher protein intake of around 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day may be recommended to help keep you fuller between meals and provide the essential amino acids to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass as you drop body fat.

• Older women. Women 50 years or older generally benefit from a slightly higher protein intake, around 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. This helps maintain strength and minimizes muscle loss associated with age.

The best way to figure out your personalized protein needs is to consult a registered dietitian nutritionist. They can help you calculate it based on your goals — and come up with a plan to meet them.

Those wondering if they need more protein can look at where they fall within the groups listed above. Whether you’re pregnant, trying to lose weight, build more muscle, or are a senior can affect how much protein to aim for.

For example, let’s say you’re a 42-year-old woman who exercises four times a week, including both cardio and strength training, with a primary goal of better overall wellness and maintaining muscle mass. Your protein needs would likely fall between 1.2 and 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

The number can be calculated like this:

• Determine body weight in kilograms. Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 (e.g., a 150-pound woman = 68 kilograms).

• Calculate protein needs. Multiply body weight in kilograms by the recommended protein range: 68 kilograms x 1.2 grams = 82 grams (minimum) and 68 kilograms x 2 grams = 136 grams (upper range).

In this example, you’d aim for 82 to 136 grams of protein a day. Staying near the lower end of the range is adequate for general wellness, whereas the higher end may be best for active recovery from workouts and maintaining lean muscle mass.

Track Your Protein to See If You Need More

To find out if you’re meeting your recommended protein intake, try keeping a protein journal for three days.

Log everything you eat with particular attention to protein consumption — how much you actually ate, not just what was on your plate. Then, add together your protein for each day and divide it by three to get your average daily protein intake.

The reality is, true protein deficiency is rare in developed countries like the U.S., as long as you’re eating enough calories overall.

But if you find your average daily protein intake is lower than what’s recommended, there are easy ways to increase it. We’ll go over these next.

If you’re wondering how to eat more protein without going overboard or getting overwhelmed, you’re in the right place.

You can try new protein sources, eat more protein foods you already enjoy, and spread your intake evenly throughout the day. You don’t even have to take a supplement if you don’t want to.

Here’s what you can do to boost your protein intake.

1. Start Your Day With Protein

Breakfast is a great opportunity to pack in protein to help stabilize blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day.

Choose high-protein options like Greek yogurt with fruit, scrambled eggs or tofu, or a smoothie with your favorite protein powder, frozen berries, and nut or seed butter.

2. Choose High-Protein Snacks

Swap carb-heavy snacks for protein-packed alternatives like roasted chickpeas (homemade or store-bought), a handful of almonds, hard-boiled eggs, or a low-sugar jerky stick.

These healthy snacks are convenient, easy to prepare, and helpful for staving off hunger between meals.

3. Add Protein to Your Beverages

Extra protein doesn’t just have to come in the form of foods — you can also boost the protein content of your coffee or smoothies or coffee with collagen peptides or protein powder.

These powdered protein sources dissolve easily (but you might consider getting a hand mixer for coffee) and add at least 7 to 10 grams of protein per scoop.

4. Use Protein-Enriched Alternatives

Upgrade your pantry staples by choosing versions made with ingredients higher in protein. For instance, rather than regular wheat pasta, try edamame or lentil pasta.

There are also high-protein varieties of bread and breakfast cereals, making it easy to increase your protein intake without changing much about your diet pattern.

5. Focus on Lean Meats and Fish

Lean meats like chicken breast, turkey, and fatty fish (think salmon and tuna) are high-protein foods that provide other essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids.

They can be used in balanced meals as a main protein source alongside nutrient-packed veggies and whole grains.

6. Incorporate Plant-Based Proteins

There’s plenty of protein in plant-based options, whether you don’t eat any animal products or are just looking to diversify your diet.

Some of the best options include:

• Soy foods. Tofu, tempeh, or edamame (young soybeans) are popular, versatile soy-based foods.

• Other legumes. Our favorites are chickpeas, lentils, green peas, peanuts, and kidney beans.

• Nuts and seeds. We’re talking walnuts, cashews, almonds, and chia seeds.

Research shows that many people benefit from prioritizing plant-based proteins over animal proteins. Diets high in animal protein have been associated with a higher risk of death from heart disease compared to diets high in plant proteins. This is likely because animal proteins also contribute more saturated fats and no fiber.

But if you’re mindful, you can absolutely eat a heart-healthy diet with a medley of meats, dairy products, grains, and produce.

7. Prep Ahead With Protein in Mind

Whatever your goals are, meal-planning and prepping is a stellar habit to help save time and ensure you’re getting enough protein.

Try batch-cooking, which means preparing a larger quantity of something that can be used more than during the week. This could be a pot of beans to use in enchiladas, soups, salads, and homemade veggie burger patties. Store them in the fridge for easy access as you make meals.

8. Include Eggs

If a convenient protein source is what you’re after, one large egg generally contains at least 6 grams. You can enjoy them poached or scrambled for breakfast, or hard-boiled on a salad or with a handful of nuts as an afternoon snack.

9. Sprinkle Seeds or Nuts

Seeds may be small, but don’t let that fool you. Adding nuts or chia, flax, pumpkin seeds, or hemp seeds to oatmeal, salads, smoothies, or yogurt is an effortless way to increase protein.

Just one ounce of chia seeds or walnuts contains nearly 5 grams of protein. Not a fan of whole nuts? Even a two-tablespoon serving of peanut butter provides 8 grams of protein. Nuts and seeds are also high in calories, so keep this in mind if you’re aiming to lose weight.

10. Explore Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

Low-fat dairy products like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese sticks are protein-rich and easy to include in meals or snacks.

Don’t eat dairy? No problem — dairy-free alternatives, especially ones made with a soy or pea base, can also be great protein sources. For instance, one cup of fortified soy milk contains at least 7 grams of protein.

11. Choose Protein-Packed Spreads

Nothing ties a snack plate together like a flavorful, satisfying dip. Luckily, some of the best dips and spreads are also high in protein, such as almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or hummus (made from chickpeas).

Try these spread on whole-grain toast, with rye crackers, or served with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also add a dollop of nut butter to your smoothies and oatmeal.

12. Make Protein the Star of Your Salads

Salads are an excellent way to get your fill of mixed greens and other fresh veggies, but they can also be an easy vehicle for protein-packed ingredients.

Upgrade your dinner salad with grilled chicken or roasted tofu cubes, cooked beans and lentils, quinoa, hard-boiled eggs, walnuts, hemp seeds, or strips of seitan (a meat alternative made from gluten).

13. Go for Protein-Rich Soups and Stews

Soups and stews can take on a variety of savory flavors and ingredients, making them a nice way to boost protein intake.

Try black beans and ground turkey or soy crumbles for chili. You can also toss chickpeas and navy beans into tortellini soup with veggies.

14. Try On-the-Go Protein Snacks

Keep protein bars, beef or plant-based jerky, or roasted nuts handy for quick, on-the-go snacks.

These portable options are convenient for busy lifestyles and provide a quick source of protein between meals.

15. Upgrade Your Dessert

Yep, even dessert can be an opportunity to add more protein at the end of your day.

For example, chia pudding, yogurt parfaits, or protein brownies made with black beans or collagen powder can provide a sweet ending while helping you meet your nutrition goals.

16. Cook With Protein Powders

Protein powders aren’t just for making workout shakes (though you can stick to this conventional use if you please). They can also be added to everyday things like oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, energy balls, or even pancake batters.

You can choose whey protein, collagen (from bovine), or a plant-based version like one made with pea, soy, or brown rice. Pretty much all of these come in flavors ranging from vanilla to chocolate peanut butter cookie.

17. Add Protein to Side Dishes

There’s often room to add another protein source to your plate by bulking up a side dish. Enrich side dishes with ingredients like beans, lentils, quinoa, nuts, or seeds.

There are many health benefits of a high-protein diet, especially for weight loss and weight management.

The best way to get protein is to find sources you enjoy from a variety of healthy foods and include them regularly throughout your day. You may be surprised by how simply increasing the overall diversity of your diet also boosts your overall protein.

When it comes to how to get more protein, here are some key things to remember:

• Start by understanding your protein needs. Whether you’re wondering how to increase protein intake for weight loss or prevent losing muscle with age, a good rule of thumb is to start with the protein RDA for women in your age, life stage, and activity level.

• Not everyone needs more protein. With the emphasis on “more protein” everywhere you turn, you may feel pressure to significantly increase your intake. Most Americans get plenty of protein already, though some may benefit from a modest increase. To know where you fall, keep a protein-intake journal for a few days and see whether it aligns with your RDA.

• It’s easy to add more. Protein is found in a wide array of foods of both animal and plant origin. You can increase your protein intake by adding nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean meats, fish, eggs, and soy products to everyday meals and snacks (or even desserts).

If you’re interested in boosting protein for weight loss, you may also be interested in our guide on how to quiet food noise. Hers also offers physician-recommended protein bars and shakes to help you reach your goals.

We’re also happy to connect you with a licensed healthcare provider for personalized recommendations. If you’re interested in medical weight loss treatment, take our free online assessment to start exploring your options.