What Is the High-Protein Diet?

A high-protein diet encourages eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates or fat to boost weight loss, improve energy, and enhance athletic performance.

Protein is an essential nutrient for health. It is responsible for a number of important functions in the body, including hormones, enzymes, and cell repair and maintenance.

Research suggests a diet that is high in protein can help people lose more fat while retaining lean muscle mass.1 Diets that are high in protein help to decrease hunger, increase satiety, boost metabolic rate, and preserve muscle mass.

In general, a high-protein diet recommends getting more than 20 percent of your total calories from protein. That typically means eating fewer calories from carbohydrates or fats to keep your calories in balance.

If you use a calorie tracking app or website to count calories, it's easy to check your daily protein intake. Many people on a high-protein diet use apps to track macros to ensure they are getting the right ratios of protein to carbohydrate and fat.

A suggested ratio to start for a high protein diet is 30 percent of calories from protein, 30 percent of calories from fat, and 40 percent of calories from carbohydrates. After a few weeks on the plan, you may find you do better with a little more or a little less of a macronutrient, and you should adjust your macro settings as needed.

What to Eat

There are no foods that are expressly forbidden on a high protein diet. It is recommended to eat more lean proteins and eat less refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fats.

Eat More

• Lean proteins, such as lean meat, seafood, beans, soy, low-fat dairy, eggs, nuts, and seeds
• Vegetables, including leafy greens, peppers, mushrooms, and cruciferous vegetables
• Low glycemic fruits, such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
• Whole grains

Eat Less

• Refined carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, and white rice
• Sugar, including candy and sweetened condiments
• Saturated fats and fried foods

Recommended Timing

There is no suggested meal timing for a high-protein diet, although some people on a high protein plan also practice intermittent fasting, which is either restricting calories to certain days and fasting on others or going a longer period of time without eating, such as 16 hours a day.3

Resources and Tips

Following a high-protein diet does not need to be difficult. Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Start your day with protein. Eggs make a protein-rich and filling breakfast. If you don't have time or don't like eggs, a smoothie made with protein powder, such as whey, pea protein, or collagen, leafy greens, and berries can be a satisfying breakfast.
• Include protein at every meal. Plan meals around a protein, such as lean beef, chicken, or pork, and fill the rest of your plate with vegetables.
• Skip processed carbs. Instead of eating refined grains, like white rice, pasta, and bread, include small portions of whole grains that are high in protein, like amaranth or quinoa. You can also replace pasta with spiralized zucchini or carrots, and substituted riced cauliflower for white rice.
• Snack on protein. Keep high-protein snacks on hand for when between meal hunger strikes. Almonds, greek yogurt, hummus, ricotta, and string cheese all make convenient snacks on the go.

Pros and Cons

Like most weight-loss plans, a high-protein diet has its share of benefits and drawbacks.

Pros

1. More filling
2. Builds muscle
3. Can improve diet
4. Burns more calories

• Cons

1. May be harmful to kidneys
2. Protein turns to glucose in the body
3. May lead to nutrient deficiencies
4. May increase risk of heart disease

How It Compares

Many experts recommend following a reduced-calorie, high-protein for weight loss. A diet focused on lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains is considered a healthy way to lose weight.

USDA Recommendations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dietary guidelines provide recommendations for a healthy, balanced diet. The 2015 to 2020 guidelines recommended percentage breakdown of macro nutrients is:6

• 10 percent to 35 percent of calories from protein
• 45 percent to 65 percent of calories from carbohydrates
• 20 percent to 35 percent of calories from fat

For healthy adults, the recommended dietary allowance for protein (RDA) is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. That means at a minimum every day you should eat slightly less than 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds (68 kilograms) you should eat at least 54 grams of protein each day.

If you exercise for weight loss, you may want to consume more protein. A position statement developed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) the Dietitians of Canada (DC), and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that exercisers should consume between 1.2 grams and 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.7 

A high-protein diet that includes vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean meats, beans and legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, and healthy oils fits within the good health guidelines.

The USDA recommends consuming roughly 1,500 calories per day for weight loss, but this number varies based on age, sex, weight, and activity level. Use this calculator to determine the right number of calories for you.