I'm An RD & Here's How I Went From Eating 60 To 100 Grams Of Protein Daily

Late last year, as I was interviewing experts for mindbodygreen's 2024 Well-Being Forecast (which predicted that the high-protein movement will challenge toxic diet culture), I got a brutal wake-up call. I definitely wasn't reaching my daily protein goals. Heck, I didn't even know what my protein intake goals should be—and I'm a dietitian.

I did some mental math as clinical nutritionist Kelly LeVeque revealed her recommendation to get 30-50 grams of protein in each of the first two meals of the day and realized I was falling way short. LeVeque told me that following this high-protein protocol for 10-14 days is usually long enough to realize the benefits on body composition, blood sugar, and energy levels.

My first step was to gauge what a high-protein diet looks like for me. During my dietetic training, I was taught that eating 0.8 gram per kilogram of body weight provides most healthy adults with enough protein. Turns out, this is the bare minimum amount of protein to avoid a nitrogen imbalance. 

Now, research shows and many experts agree that the average, active adult needs significantly more protein than that—somewhere in the range of 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. 

The next step was to identify how much protein I was currently consuming. I downloaded a macronutrient tracker on my phone, and typed in some recipes and foods I eat frequently. 

Typically, I plan my meals for the week around plants (grains leading the charge for breakfast and vegetables for lunch and dinner). Protein was always present, but it was frankly an afterthought. 

For this experiment, I started planning my meals around protein—specifically animal proteins. And I planned to serve myself more than the 3-ounce portions I typically gravitate toward. For these two weeks, I aimed for 5-6 ounces of servings of meat or seafood during meals.

Breakfast was a bit harder to plan for until I decided to finally incorporate a whey protein powder. Whey protein isolate offers a concentrated source of high-quality bioavailable protein. But many brands I looked into filled their whey protein with artificial flavors, sugar alcohols, and dyes. So I opted for mindbodygreen's (clean) grass-fed whey protein isolate+.

For breakfast, I tend to like something carby. So I leaned into a lot of Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, and grass-fed whey protein isolate+. This was my first time trying a whey protein powder, and I loved how it added an extra 25 grams (!) of protein to whatever I was eating—mainly overnight oats and yogurt. This protein powder leaves out all the junk that litters so many other products, and the vanilla flavor is truly delicious. 

For lunch, I tend to be pretty lazy. To hit my protein threshold, I loved tossing a can of salmon or tuna (34 grams of protein) into a big salad. Or I would do a midday breakfast variation with scrambled eggs and a fruit smoothie (featuring the whey protein of course).

If I needed a snack, I reached for a slice of whole grain toast and peanut butter or a bowl of cottage cheese and sliced bell peppers. 

For dinner, I would whip up an easy chicken-thigh sheet-pan dish, shrimp tacos, a fish filet, or a tofu stir fry.

Turns out LeVeque was right. I felt so good during these two weeks. Protein has a strong satiating effect1, and I absolutely felt full and satisfied, not just between meals but for the entire day.

During my workouts—even my morning fasted ones—I felt stronger and more energized. And while I don't eat that much sugar, I never once craved a sweet treat. In fact, I'm not sure I had more than two or three mini peanut butter cups the entire two weeks. 

While I did more easily meet (and sometimes surpass) my daily protein goal of 100 grams, I do think it came at the expense of some diversity in the plants I was consuming. Apparently I could only focus on one thing at a time.

As I continue down this high-protein track, my goal is to take a page from my fellow editor Hannah's playbook and shoot for eating 30+ plants a week.