Proteins are our best friends when it comes to the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. They help build muscle mass and play a significant role in forming the structure, function, and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. At once, proteins help repair cells and build new ones. Moreover, did you know that our taste bud receptors on the tongue responsible for taste distinguishing and getting pleasure from delicious food are also proteins?

Today, nutritionists claim proteins to be the #1 energy source in a balanced diet instead of carbs. That’s why a high-protein menu is among the most prospective dietary plans. Let’s consider what can be included in the high-protein meal plan, how to make it delicious, and how to make it budget.

High-Protein Meals: What They Are Used For?

The first and most significant feature of high-protein meals is that they help lose weight and maintain overall health. Due to protein’s ability to build muscle tissues, it helps maintain lean mass while fats are not growing.

That’s why high-protein meals are the basics for numerous diets, including the following:

  • Keto diet which is based on high amounts of proteins, fats, and fiber with radical reduction of carbs.
  • The carnivore diet is based on consuming high amounts of meat, fish, eggs, and poultry, the products which are the most important sources of proteins.
  • The Atkins diet is mostly a low-carb dietary plan yet it also includes various high-protein meals.

These plans are not the ultimate as you can develop your own high-protein meal plan to fit both your body's needs and your tastes. Here we are going to explain how to create your high-protein meal plan.

Deciding on the Best High-Protein Products for Weight Loss

Which are the best products to include in your high-protein menu? There are some basics you can use for further meal plan development.

  • Protein powder is an alternative to natural protein sources and we cannot discard it from this list because today, its use is much wider than sports nutrition, and protein powder is often included in the recipes of useful shakes, cocktails, high-protein pastries and sweets. Its main merit is that it provides the highest amount of pure protein in a small portion while getting the same amount of proteins from other products requires eating big portions.
  • Eggs are also the best sources of protein as one large egg contains 6.3 g of protein. Eggs can be used in a wide range of meals from healthy breakfasts to desserts and they are among the most affordable high-protein products, by the way.
  • Poultry, especially chicken or turkey breast, are called the best friends of every diet. They provide over 28 g of protein per 100 g of product, they can be cooked in multiple ways, and they are highly nutritive.
  • Cheese and cottage cheese are also the best ideas for high-protein diets. Yet, it is better to choose low-fat cheeses to lose weight like cottage cheese or soft cheeses marked as ‘fitness’ ones.
  • Dairy products are not only sugars and fats! For example, Greek yogurt or milk provides 8-9 g of protein per 1 cup. The only limitation is that dairy products and milk are not 100% tolerated by many people.
  • Nuts, especially almonds, are the sources of various important macro- and micronutrients including fiber, B12 vitamin, and manganese. Their protein levels are also considerable as 1 oz of almonds contain 6 g of protein. Other high-protein nuts are pistachios and cashews.
  • Tofu is a purely vegetarian source of proteins. Besides, this product can obtain the flavor of any other product which makes it a great choice for meals you want to saturate with protein without losing specific tastes and flavors.
  • Fish and seafood are the most delicious, rich in taste, and useful high-protein products. They provide high levels of proteins along with essential Omega-3 and Omega-6.
  • Beef is the classic of high-protein foods. Yet, if you want your diet to be balanced, it is better to combine your steak with salads and steamed vegetables or prefer toasted, boiled, and steamed beef.
  • Lentils especially soybeans, lime beans, and other legumes are the #1 plant-based protein source. They provide over 9 g of protein per 100 g.
High-Protein Diet Meal Plan

All these products should be included in your menu to make it truly high-protein, moreover, they should possess the lion’s share of the whole amount of food you consume.

How to Develop a Budget High-Protein Menu for a Week to Maintain Your Diet and Save Costs

As you can see, there are both costly and affordable meals on the list of high-protein foods. Thus, it’s up to you to adapt them to your budget. For example, if you want to eat healthy and maintain a high-protein diet for low costs, you can provide the following meal plan:

  • Eating eggs for breakfast combined with either cottage cheese or chicken breasts. You can cook chicken breasts by baking them with vegetables and divide into portions for a week. Then, add either boiled eggs, poached eggs, or even an omelet to make your breakfast diverse. Another option is starting your day with high-protein desserts and shakes. They can be added to the main course or you can eat them separately.
  • Turkey and chicken can become the basis for your lunches. You can cook them in multiple ways, add them to soups, and combine them with various garnishing like green leaf salads, quinoa (which is also rich in proteins), baked or grilled vegetables, etc. Do not forget to add fish or seafood at least once or twice per week to your lunch.
  • Dinner based on high-protein meals may include beef and even pork meals. You can add a high-protein dessert to it to please your taste buds but do not overeat.

If you feel hungry during the day, you can also use some healthy snacks like roasted almonds, protein bars, and protein shakes, which you can take with you.

Time-Saving Tips for High-Protein Diet Meal Plan

Cooking high-protein meals every day is very hard and time-consuming. Thus, you can make it easier for you and save some costs. Let’s develop your high-protein menu using 95 Nutrition offers!

All these meals are available for order and we’ll ship them to you for free fresh and delicious.