What is a high protein meal?

A meal with at least 20 to 30 g of protein is usually considered high protein. That is roughly the amount in a chicken breast, a tin of tuna or three eggs with a pot of Greek yoghurt.

What is the highest protein breakfast?

Eggs, Greek yoghurt, skyr, cottage cheese and smoked salmon are the easiest ways to make breakfast high in protein. A three-egg omelette with feta or a large pot of 0% Greek yoghurt with granola both give you over 20 g.

What are good high protein snacks?

Skyr or Greek yoghurt, boiled eggs, edamame beans, cottage cheese, beef jerky and a protein shake all give you 10 to 30 g of protein for 100 to 250 kcal.

How can vegetarians eat more protein?

Build meals around eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, tempeh, Quorn, lentils, chickpeas, beans and edamame. Combining a dairy or soy protein with a pulse at each meal makes 25 g or more easy to reach.

High protein meals: 30 easy ideas

Thirty simple high protein meals made from food you can get in any UK supermarket, with the protein and calories for each.

By the Calori team · Updated 21 October 2026 · 9 min read

Most people trying to lose fat or build muscle need somewhere between 100 and 160 g of protein a day (work out your own number with our protein calculator). Split over three meals and a snack, that means roughly 25 to 40 g per meal. Every meal below hits that, and most come in under 500 kcal.

Protein and calorie figures are estimates based on typical supermarket products. Brands differ, so check labels if you need exact numbers, or snap the plate in Calori to log it.

High protein breakfasts

Breakfast is the meal where most people miss out on protein. Cereal, toast or a croissant usually comes in under 10 g. Eggs or a strained yoghurt can give you a third of your daily protein at breakfast.

Meal	What's in it	Protein	kcal
Greek yoghurt bowl	200 g 0% Greek yoghurt, 80 g berries, 20 g granola	22 g	240
Scrambled eggs on toast	3 eggs, 1 slice wholemeal toast, a little butter	23 g	350
Protein porridge	40 g oats in 200 ml semi-skimmed milk, ½ scoop whey stirred in, ½ banana	24 g	355
Salmon and cottage cheese bagel	1 bagel, 50 g smoked salmon, 60 g cottage cheese	27 g	370
Feta and spinach omelette	2 eggs plus 100 ml egg whites, 30 g feta, spinach	29 g	300
Skyr overnight oats	40 g oats, 150 g skyr, 100 ml milk, 1 tsp honey	25 g	310
Banana protein pancakes	1 banana, 2 eggs, 30 g oats, topped with 100 g Greek yoghurt	28 g	420
Breakfast burrito	1 tortilla, 2 eggs, 30 g reduced-fat cheddar, 50 g black beans, salsa	31 g	490

Tips for a high protein breakfast

Skyr and 0% Greek yoghurt have around 10 g of protein per 100 g, compared with about 4 g in normal yoghurt.
Carton egg whites add protein to omelettes and scrambles without many extra calories.
Stir whey into porridge after cooking, not before, so it doesn't turn rubbery.

High protein lunches

Lunch is easiest when it is built around a ready-to-eat protein: cooked chicken, tinned tuna, prawns, tofu or a tin of beans. Most of these take under ten minutes and work well in a lunchbox.

Meal	What's in it	Protein	kcal
Chicken Caesar wrap	1 wrap, 100 g cooked chicken, light Caesar dressing, 10 g parmesan, lettuce	40 g	420
Tuna and bean salad	1 tin tuna, 120 g cannellini beans, tomato, red onion, 1 tbsp olive oil	35 g	370
Jacket potato with tuna	250 g baked potato, 100 g tuna, sweetcorn, 1 tbsp light mayo	32 g	410
Chicken and quinoa bowl	100 g chicken, 125 g cooked quinoa, roasted veg, 30 g hummus	40 g	440
Lentil and feta salad	150 g cooked lentils, 50 g feta, cucumber, tomato, 1 tsp olive oil	22 g	375
Prawn noodle salad	150 g cooked prawns, 50 g rice noodles, crunchy veg, sweet chilli and soy	37 g	410
Tofu and edamame rice bowl	150 g firm tofu, 75 g edamame, 125 g cooked rice, soy and sesame	31 g	485
Greek chicken pitta	1 wholemeal pitta, 100 g chicken, 50 g tzatziki, salad	39 g	395

High protein dinners

For dinner, start with 125 to 150 g of lean meat or fish (or a good portion of tofu, Quorn or pulses), then add vegetables and a measured portion of carbs. These are all family-friendly, and most freeze well.

Meal	What's in it	Protein	kcal
Chicken stir-fry	150 g chicken breast, 200 g stir-fry veg, 1 tbsp oil, sauce, 60 g rice (dry)	44 g	605
Salmon with new potatoes	130 g salmon fillet, 200 g new potatoes, green beans, a little butter	34 g	490
Turkey chilli	125 g turkey breast mince, kidney beans, tomatoes, peppers, 60 g rice (dry)	43 g	565
Lean spaghetti bolognese	125 g 5% beef mince, passata, veg, 75 g spaghetti (dry), parmesan	41 g	580
Chicken fajitas	150 g chicken, peppers, onion, 2 small tortillas, Greek yoghurt, salsa	47 g	485
Oven cod and chips	150 g cod fillet, 150 g oven chips, 80 g peas	36 g	415
Quorn and chickpea curry	100 g Quorn pieces, 120 g chickpeas, light coconut milk, 60 g rice (dry)	28 g	565
Steak and sweet potato	180 g lean sirloin, 200 g sweet potato, salad, 1 tsp oil	45 g	475

Making dinners higher in protein

Choose 5% beef mince or turkey breast mince instead of 20% mince for more protein per calorie.
Add a tin of beans or lentils to chillies, curries and bolognese to stretch the protein further.
Use Greek yoghurt in place of soured cream or crème fraîche.

High protein snacks

A protein-rich snack between meals keeps hunger down and makes your daily target easier to reach. These all give at least 10 g of protein.

Meal	What's in it	Protein	kcal
Skyr and berries	150 g skyr, 50 g berries	16 g	115
Boiled eggs	2 large eggs	13 g	150
Cottage cheese rice cakes	100 g cottage cheese on 2 rice cakes	13 g	155
Edamame beans	100 g, steamed with sea salt	11 g	120
Beef jerky	30 g bag	13–15 g	95
Protein shake	30 g whey in 250 ml semi-skimmed milk	31 g	235

High protein vegetarian options

Six of the meals above are vegetarian or easily made so: the Greek yoghurt bowl, the omelette, the pancakes, the lentil and feta salad, the tofu bowl and the Quorn curry. The most useful vegetarian proteins are eggs, Greek yoghurt, skyr, cottage cheese, tofu, tempeh, Quorn, edamame, lentils and chickpeas. Pairing a dairy or soy protein with a pulse at each meal is the easiest way to reach 25 g or more.

Putting it into a day

A 140 g protein day using meals from this list:

Breakfast: skyr overnight oats (25 g)
Lunch: Greek chicken pitta (39 g)
Snack: boiled eggs (13 g)
Dinner: chicken fajitas (47 g)
Evening: skyr and berries (16 g)

That is 140 g of protein for about 1,500 kcal, which works for many people in a calorie deficit. For full days at 1500, 1800 and 2000 kcal, see our meal plans.

Tracking your protein

The easiest way to know whether you are getting enough protein is to track it for a couple of weeks. With Calori you take a photo of your meal and it logs the protein, carbs, fat and calories for you, so you can see how each of these meals adds up across your day.

Frequently asked questions

What is a high protein meal?: A meal with at least 20 to 30 g of protein is usually considered high protein. That is roughly the amount in a chicken breast, a tin of tuna or three eggs with a pot of Greek yoghurt.
What is the highest protein breakfast?: Eggs, Greek yoghurt, skyr, cottage cheese and smoked salmon are the easiest ways to make breakfast high in protein. A three-egg omelette with feta or a large pot of 0% Greek yoghurt with granola both give you over 20 g.
What are good high protein snacks?: Skyr or Greek yoghurt, boiled eggs, edamame beans, cottage cheese, beef jerky and a protein shake all give you 10 to 30 g of protein for 100 to 250 kcal.
How can vegetarians eat more protein?: Build meals around eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, tempeh, Quorn, lentils, chickpeas, beans and edamame. Combining a dairy or soy protein with a pulse at each meal makes 25 g or more easy to reach.