While eating 100 grams of protein in one meal is not considered typical, it may be necessary for certain people trying to hit high daily protein targets.
- If you want meal ideas that contain 100g of protein, I’ve created a list of 10 meals below (click here to skip to that section of the article).
- You can also download the meals here if you want them for future use.
Let’s start, though, by understanding what 100 grams of protein looks like and then discussing who exactly should eat 100 grams of protein in a single meal (because this type of meal structure is NOT for everyone).
What Does 100 Grams of Protein Look Like?
Want to learn more about meal planning? Check out our complete guide on How To Make A Meal Plan For Bodybuilding.
Can You Consume 100g of Protein in a Meal?
Generally, it is not recommended to consume more than 25-30 grams of protein per meal, since this is the maximum amount that your body can use at one time to build and repair muscle tissue according to research.
However, there is no rule that says that you cannot consume 100 grams of protein in one sitting, and there are some instances where it might be warranted or necessary in order to achieve your goals (explained below).
Any extra protein that you eat will not go to waste, and will likely be converted in the body and used as extra energy.
- Related: Low Budget High Protein Meal Plan
Daily Recommended Protein Intake
The recommended daily protein intake for a sedentary adult is around 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, which works out to be about 71 grams per day for an average 197-pound male, and 61 grams a day for an average 170-pound female.
Therefore, meals containing 100 grams of protein would NOT BE necessary for the average sedentary adult.
The recommended protein intake increases when you take part in more physical activity though.
For example, the suggested protein intake for athletes is around 0.5-0.9 grams per pound of body weight, and it has even been suggested that bodybuilders and those looking to build muscle could benefit from eating around 1 gram per pound of body weight.
Takeaway: meals that contain up to 100 grams of protein are going to work best for those who have a higher protein requirement and prefer to eat fewer meals in a day.
How To Get 100g of Protein Per Meal? 6 Tips
1. Eat Large Portions of Meat, Poultry, and Fish
To pack more protein into your meal, it will be essential for you to to increase your portion sizes of meat, poultry, and fish products.
The types of animal protein that contain the highest amount of protein per gram are turkey, chicken breast, tuna, salmon, pork loin, and lean cuts of beef.
For example, you would need to consume roughly 11 oz of chicken breast in order to hit 97 grams of protein. Similarly, it would take around 13 oz of sirloin steak to reach 100 grams of protein.
While you will likely need to keep your meat portions large in order to hit 100 grams of protein in one meal, keep in mind that you will also acquire protein from other parts of your meal (such as your vegetables and whole grains).
- Related: Highest Protein Vegetables
2. Eat Egg Whites Alongside Your Eggs
If you are trying to eat extremely high amounts of protein in one sitting, it would take a whole lot of eggs in your omelet (about 16 to be exact) to reach your 100-gram goal.
Opting for a combination of eggs and egg whites will help you to boost your protein intake, without having to add all of the fat that comes with the yolk of an egg.
For example, you could get around 90 grams of protein by eating a combination of 6 eggs and 2 cups of egg whites, while only getting around 30 grams of fat (as opposed to the 80 grams of fat found in 16 whole eggs).
Egg whites are also great to boost the protein content in other meals such as oatmeal bowls, pancakes, and other baked goods.
3. Utilize Protein Powders
If you are having trouble eating 100 grams of protein in one meal, then a protein powder can help you reach your goal.
Most whey isolate protein powders can contain around 25-30 grams of protein, which can have a big impact on your protein target without the added burden of a long digestion time.
Protein powders do not have to be reserved only for protein shakes and smoothies. They can also be great to add to food such as oatmeal, yogurt bowls, cereal, and baked goods such as brownies, muffins, and cookies.
4. Consume Nuts and Seeds
While it is very unlikely that you will be able to hit 100 grams of protein in a meal with nuts and seeds alone, they can be extremely helpful to boost the content of almost any meal.
Nuts are also great to add to your meals because they contain healthy fats that contribute to your overall health.
For example, adding 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to your protein smoothie can boost the protein content of your meal by almost 10 grams. Similarly to this, adding 2 Tbsp of hemp seeds to your yogurt bowl will give you an extra 10 grams of protein.
Try adding different varieties of nuts and seeds to meals such as stir-frys, salads, yogurt bowls, and smoothies in order to add a little extra protein.
- Related: How To Boost Your Protein Intake Without Protein Powder
5. Opt For High Protein Dairy Sources
If you are trying to hit a high protein target, you will want to make sure that any dairy you are consuming contains a high amount of protein. This will make a big difference when it comes to meeting your protein goal for that meal.
For example, swapping out your regular yogurt for a higher protein Greek yogurt or cottage cheese can increase your protein intake by around 12 grams per 1 cup serving.
You can even boost the protein in a meal by adding dairy sources such as cheese and milk.
6. Choose High Protein Grains and Legumes
While it is more common to think about getting your protein from animal sources such as meat and fish, opting for high-protein grains and legumes in your meal can also have a major impact on your protein intake.
Although most grains and legumes are primarily high in carbohydrates, some also contain a significant amount of protein.
For example, opting for higher protein grains such as wild rice, basmati rice, and quinoa can give you a great boost in protein.
In addition to this, opting for whole grain products over refined white versions can increase your protein intake. You can even include high protein bread and wraps into your diet instead of eating the conventional version of these foods.
10 Meals With 100 Grams of Protein
Here are the best meals that contain 100g of protein.
If you want more meal and recipe inspiration, check out our entire meal plan category.
Download these 100g protein meals here to reference them later.
1. High Protein Oats
Although a bowl of oatmeal on its own will consist primarily of carbohydrates, adding in high protein ingredients such as egg whites, protein powder, and peanut butter can help to give it a large boost in protein.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- ½ cup oats- 12 grams
- 8 egg whites-28 grams
- 1.5 scoops of protein powder-45 grams
- 3 tbsp peanut butter-12 grams
- 1 cup berries-2 gram
TOTAL: 99 grams of protein
2. Chocolate Banana Protein Smoothie
You can easily hit your 100-gram protein goal with this chocolate protein smoothie. With ingredients such as chocolate protein powder, Greek yogurt, skim milk, and almond butter, this smoothie will pack in a ton of protein.
Utilizing smoothies when you have a high protein target can also be useful, since smoothies require less work for your body to digest and break down.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder-60 grams
- ½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt- 12 grams
- 2 cups skim milk- 16 grams
- 2 tbsp almond butter- 8 grams
- ½ a frozen banana-1 gram
TOTAL: 97 grams of protein
3. Egg Omelet with Canadian Bacon and Toast
Eating a combination of eggs and egg whites will greatly increase the amount of protein that you get in your breakfast omelet. Not only that, but adding foods such as bacon and high protein toast to your meal will help you to reach your 100-gram protein goal.
While adding a side of fruit to this meal doesn’t necessarily add to the protein content, it helps to balance out the meal by adding extra micronutrients and fiber, which is equally as important as hitting your protein target.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 5 eggs- 24 grams
- 8 egg whites- 28 grams
- 3 slices Canadian bacon- 20 grams
- 1 oz 2% cheddar cheese- 7 grams
- 3 large mushrooms (chopped)- 2 grams
- ½ cup spinach. 1.7 grams
- 2 slices high protein Powerseed bread, toasted- 10 grams
- ½ cup blueberries -1 gram
TOTAL: 99.7 grams of protein
4. Greek Yogurt and Protein Cereal
This Greek yogurt bowl packs a protein punch, since it also contains high protein cereal, seeds, and protein powder. This combination is also packed with plenty of fiber and healthy fats that will keep you feeling full for hours.
This is also a great vegetarian meal option to hit your 100-gram protein goal. As long as you tolerate dairy well, then this meal can serve as the ultimate quick and easy high protein breakfast.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 1.5 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt- 36 grams
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder- 30 grams
- 1.5 cup cocoa Magic Spoon cereal- 19.5 grams
- 2 tbsp chia seeds- 4 grams
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds- 10 grams
TOTAL: 99.5 grams of protein
5. Chicken Breast with Quinoa and Cheesy Broccoli
While chicken, quinoa and broccoli might seem boring, this meal contains healthy protein, carbs, fats, and fiber that are going to keep you full and fueled for hours.
Not only that, but this meal can actually be pretty tasty when you are using the right spices. Small things like adding cheese to your broccoli can also help to boost the protein content.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 8.5 oz roasted chicken breast- 75 grams
- 1 cup of rainbow quinoa- 8 grams
- 2 cups of steamed broccoli- 5.5 grams
- 2 oz 2% cheddar cheese (melted onto broccoli)- 14 grams
TOTAL: 102.5 grams of protein
6. Ground Turkey Breast with High Protein Spaghetti
Although a pasta dish is normally thought of as a carbohydrate packed meal, it can also contain a hefty amount of protein. This is especially true when you are using high protein pasta options such as chickpea spaghetti noodles.
Ground turkey breast is also a great option when hitting your protein targets since it is typically lower in fat, which will help you to keep your overall calories down for that meal while also meeting your protein requirement.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 8 oz ground turkey breast- 62 grams
- 3.5 oz chickpea spaghetti noodles, cooked- 23 grams
- 1 cup pasta sauce- 5 grams
- 1 oz parmesan cheese- 11 grams
TOTAL: 101 grams of protein
7. Bison Bacon Cheeseburgers
Who doesn’t love a good cheeseburger! Switching up the traditional beef burger for a bison burger can help provide a variety of nutrients and flavor in your diet.
You are also getting a good amount of protein from the other components of the burger such as the cheese, bacon, and the bun.
While this meal is higher in calories and fat, if it fits into your daily calorie count this can be a great meal to get you to your goal of 100 grams of protein per meal.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 2- 6 oz bison burger patties- 60 grams
- 2- slices cheddar cheese- 14 grams
- 4 slices of bacon (2 slices per burger)- 12 grams
- 2 whole wheat buns- 12 grams
- 1 tbsp ketchup- 0.2 grams
- ½ tbsp mustard- 0 grams
- 1 slice tomato- 0.2 grams
- 1 dill pickle- 0.2 grams
TOTAL: 98.6 grams of protein
8. Tofu and Chickpea Bowl
If you are looking to hit 100 grams of protein in one meal without consuming any animal products, then this meal is for you.
By utilizing high protein plant foods such as tofu, chickpeas, cashews and edamame, this meal provides just shy of 100 grams of protein.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 16 oz of extra firm tofu- 36 grams
- 1.5 cup chickpeas- 22.5 grams
- 4 Tbsp peanut sauce- 8 grams
- 1 cup broccoli- 2.5 grams
- 1 cup chopped carrots- 1.2 grams
- 1 cup edamame beans- 17 grams
- 2 oz cashews- 10 grams
TOTAL: 97.2grams of protein
9. Beef and Bean Burrito Bowl
This beef and bean burrito bowl uses a combination of animal and plan protein to help you reach your 100-gram protein goal.
In order to create variety with this meal, you can switch up the types of vegetables and beans that you use, and you will still be able to reach your protein goal.
Using a grain such as wild rice that is higher in protein, along with adding cheese as a topping will boost the protein content of this meal.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 8 oz extra lean ground beef- 57 grams
- 1 cup of wild rice, cooked- 8 grams
- 1 cup black beans- 16 grams
- 2.5 oz 2% cheddar cheese, shredded- 18 grams
- ½ cup corn kernels- 3 grams
- 1 cup romaine lettuce- 0.5 grams
- ½ cup salsa- 1 gram
TOTAL: 103.5 grams of protein
10. High Protein Turkey Wrap
Turkey breast in a high protein wrap is a great option if you need to pack a meal that is high in protein. In order to hit your 100-gram protein target, this recipe calls for 2 wraps.
Ingredients and Protein Macros:
- 6 oz turkey breast (3 oz per wrap)- 50 grams
- 2 high protein wraps– 20 grams
- 3 oz swiss cheese (1.5 oz per wrap)- 24 grams
- 4 slices of tomato (2 per wrap)- 1 gram
- 1 cup of spinach (1/2 cup per wrap)- 1 gram
- 2 tbsp honey mustard (1 tbsp per wrap)- 2 grams
TOTAL: 98 grams of protein
Who Should be Eating 100g Protein Meals?
Eating 100 grams of protein in one meal will most certainly not be for everyone, and will depend directly on factors such as your daily protein goal, along with how many meals you are eating in a day.
For example, if you have a daily protein intake of 200 grams per day, and you prefer to only eat 2 large meals a day rather than smaller, more frequent meals, then you would have to make sure that you are getting 100 grams of protein at each of your main meals.
The type of protein intake that would require you to eat 100 grams of protein per meal would typically be reserved for individuals who are:
- Extremely active
- Participate in sports or gym activities
- Looking to build lean muscle mass.
Other Meal Plan Resources
Check out other recipe ideas in the following articles:
- 80g Protein Meals
- 60g Protein Meals
References
Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA. How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Feb 27;15:10. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0215-1. PMID: 29497353; PMCID: PMC5828430.
Pesta, D. H., & Samuel, V. T. (2014). A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutrition & metabolism, 11(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-11-53
Mettler S, Mitchell N, Tipton KD. Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 Feb;42(2):326-37. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181b2ef8e. PMID: 19927027.
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