Meals · Recipe hub
High-Protein Meals: Easy Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Ideas
Try scrambled eggs on toast, a Greek yogurt bowl or chicken and black bean quesadillas. These three quick recipes come first; all 17 meals have USDA-based nutrition estimates.
Easy high-protein meals (15 minutes or less)
| Meal | Protein | Energy | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrambled eggs & spinach on wholemeal toast | 30 g | ≈430 kcal | 10 min |
| Greek yogurt, oat & banana bowl | 35 g | ≈440 kcal | 3 min |
| Chicken & black bean quesadillas | 38 g | ≈440 kcal | 15 min |
Quick · Vegetarian
Scrambled eggs & spinach on wholemeal toast
A ten-minute meal that works any time of day.
Serves 1 About 10 min
- Protein
- 30 g
- Energy
- ≈430 kcal
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 5.7 g
Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central. Brands and portions change the numbers.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs (about 150 g)
- 2 slices wholemeal bread (80 g)
- Handful of spinach (40 g)
Method
- Wilt the spinach in a non-stick pan.
- Add beaten eggs and stir gently until set.
- Serve on toast.
USDA entries used for this recipe
- Egg, whole, raw, fresh (FDC 171287) · 150 g
- Bread, whole-wheat, commercially prepared (FDC 172688) · 80 g
- Spinach, raw (FDC 168462) · 40 g
No cook · Vegetarian
Greek yogurt, oat & banana bowl
No cooking at all.
Serves 1 About 3 min
- Protein
- 35 g
- Energy
- ≈440 kcal
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- ≥6.5 g
Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central; fibre is a minimum because one ingredient has no USDA fibre value. Brands and portions change the numbers.
Ingredients
- 250 g plain fat-free Greek-style yogurt
- 30 g oats
- 1 small banana (100 g)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds (15 g)
Method
- Spoon yogurt into a bowl and top with oats, sliced banana and seeds.
USDA entries used for this recipe
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (FDC 330137) · 250 g
- Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry (FDC 173904) · 30 g
- Bananas, raw (FDC 173944) · 100 g
- Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried (FDC 170556) · 15 g
Quick · Uses leftovers
Chicken & black bean quesadillas
A good use for leftover cooked chicken.
Serves 2 About 15 min
- Protein
- 38 g
- Energy
- ≈440 kcal
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- ≥7.1 g
Estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central; fibre is a minimum because one ingredient has no USDA fibre value. Brands and portions change the numbers.
Ingredients
- 2 large flour tortillas (100 g)
- 150 g cooked chicken, shredded
- 120 g black beans, drained
- 40 g cheddar
- 60 g red pepper
Method
- Fill half of each tortilla, fold, and dry-fry 2–3 minutes per side until crisp and the filling is steaming hot.
USDA entries used for this recipe
- Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, flour, shelf stable (FDC 167535) · 100 g
- Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted (FDC 171477) · 150 g
- Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC 173735) · 120 g
- Cheese, cheddar (FDC 328637) · 40 g
- Peppers, sweet, red, raw (FDC 170108) · 60 g
High-protein breakfast recipes
| Meal | Protein | Energy | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt overnight oats | 28 g | ≈410 kcal | 5 min |
| Spinach, pepper & cheddar egg muffins | 24 g | ≈290 kcal | 30 min |
| Egg & black bean breakfast burritos | 26 g | ≈460 kcal | 25 min |
| Cottage cheese, berry & almond pots | 29 g | ≈270 kcal | 5 min |
High-protein lunch recipes
| Meal | Protein | Energy | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken, quinoa & black bean lunch boxes | 52 g | ≈600 kcal | 25 min |
| No-cook tuna & chickpea salad | 43 g | ≈430 kcal | 10 min |
| Red lentil, carrot & spinach soup | 20 g | ≈320 kcal | 35 min |
| Turkey, avocado & salad wrap | 36 g | ≈390 kcal | 5 min |
| Tofu, edamame & brown rice bowl | 44 g | ≈620 kcal | 25 min |
High-protein dinner recipes
| Meal | Protein | Energy | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet-pan chicken, sweet potato & broccoli | 52 g | ≈480 kcal | 40 min |
| Baked salmon with brown rice & peas | 38 g | ≈530 kcal | 25 min |
| Lean beef & kidney bean chilli | 45 g | ≈670 kcal | 45 min |
| Garlic prawn & spinach wholewheat pasta | 54 g | ≈580 kcal | 20 min |
| Cod with tomato & lentil stew | 50 g | ≈430 kcal | 25 min |
Build your own high-protein meal
- Pick a protein food: chicken, fish, eggs, Greek-style yogurt, tofu, tempeh, beans or lentils. Compare options in the highest protein foods table.
- Add a starchy food, ideally wholegrain or high-fibre (oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, potatoes with skins).
- Fill out the plate with vegetables or fruit.
- Use a little oil or cheese for flavour.
To estimate how much protein you need, use the Protein Calculator. If you want more protein for fewer calories, start with low-calorie high-protein foods.
How we calculated the nutrition
- Each ingredient weight was multiplied by its per-100 g values in USDA FoodData Central (retrieved 2026-10-10), then summed and divided by the number of servings.
- Weights are for the state of the USDA entry: cooked meat, fish, rice and pasta; drained tinned beans. Raw meat loses water when cooked, so cooked weight is lower than raw weight.
- Seasonings, garlic, herbs, lemon and stock are not counted, so totals leave out their energy and any salt they add; stock cubes and many tinned foods can add noticeable salt. Energy is rounded to the nearest 10 kcal, other values to the nearest gram.
- These are estimates. Your brands, portions and cooking method will differ; check labels or use our Food Calorie Calculator for your own ingredients.
Put this into practice
Protein per 100 g, compared fairly.
Highest protein foods- Protein CalculatorEstimate a daily protein range from body weight.
- Breakfast meal prepMake-ahead breakfasts with storage advice.
- Lunch ideasWork-friendly, hot and cold lunches.
- Dinner ideasFive easy dinner recipes.
- Low-calorie high-protein foodsProtein per 100 kcal.
- Lesson 3: ProteinWhat protein is and what it does.