11 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Bump up Your Protein Intake

All three macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—are essential for survival. Fat aids in micronutrient absorption and brain sharpness, carbs give our brains and bodies energy, and protein is key for building and restoring many of our body’s most important structures. 

“Protein contains amino acids, which are building blocks needed to maintain everything in our body, from cells and blood to tissues and muscles,” explains Roxana Ehsani, RD, a board-certified sports dietitian. We require a certain amount of protein to keep our bodies at baseline, adds board-certified sports dietitian Cynthia Sass, RD, but our bodies ask for extra protein after exercise to help heal and strengthen muscles. Because of this, active individuals in particular often seek out solutions for how to get more protein. 

But squeezing more protein into your daily diet can be surprisingly tricky. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to add more of the muscle-building macro into your everyday meals and snacks. Below, find dietitian-recommended tips for how to get more protein, plus find guidance on protein intake timing and how much of the macro to aim for.

How to Get More Protein In Your Diet

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), eating 20–40 grams of protein every three to four hours is ideal for muscle growth and performance.

Of course, everyone has unique nutritional needs, and your ideal protein intake may be different from someone else’s. (More on that later.) But generally, “I recommend that my athletes consume 20–40 grams of protein every few hours, along with carbohydrates and fat for steady energy and muscle repair throughout the day,” says Jena Brown, RD, a sports dietitian and owner of Victorem Performance Nutrition who works with endurance athletes for individualized nutrition planning. 

If your daily protein target can feel difficult to reach, check out these simple dietitian-approved solutions for how to get more protein:

1. Add 2 Eggs to Avocado Toast

Avocado toast continues to be one of the most popular ways to start the day—and with a strong dose of energy-boosting carbs and heart-healthy fats, it’s a very healthy breakfast at that. Yet despite the fact that a slice of whole-wheat bread delivers about 4 grams of protein and avocado is among the most high-protein fruits, even two slices of toast with ¼ avocado each will only earn you 9.5 grams of protein. 

Up the ante by topping your avocado toast with two large eggs cooked any which way (over easy, scrambled, or hard-boiled and sliced are stellar options), and you’ll stack on 12.5 grams of extra protein, bringing the total to an impressive 22 grams.

2. Enjoy Your Cereal or Granola with Ultra-Filtered Milk

There are a host of high-protein grains that are ideal if you’re looking for ways to get more protein at breakfast. That’s right: oats, quinoa, seed- and flax-infused flakes, and nut-boosted granola can all provide an extra protein boost in the morning. And if you’re not intolerant to dairy, another way to amp up the staying power (and muscle-building abilities) of any bowl of grains is by serving it with ultra-filtered milk. 

Ultra-filtered milk offers more protein and “almost half of your day’s calcium needs per cup, which helps build stronger muscles and bones,” Brown says. While the exact protein content varies by brand, one cup boasts about 11 grams of the macro (compared to 8 grams in cow’s milk and 1 gram in almond milk). If you don’t do dairy, consider soymilk, which has 7 grams per cup.)

3. Stoke Your Oats with a Dose of Nut Butter

A grab-and-go breakfast like overnight oats is a great way to prime your body with vitamins, minerals, and some fiber-rich carbs. To get a headstart on healthy fats and protein, too, Brown recommends mixing in a serving of nut butter. In just 2 tablespoons, you’ll score 7 grams of protein, which can help supplement the 6 grams in your cup of oats.

4. Seed-ify Your Pancakes, Waffles, Muffins, or Quick Breads

If you’re looking to squeeze more protein into your breakfast of choice, know that it’s a great thing to be seedy. Our dietitians suggest adding a scoop of chia seeds, hemp seeds, or flaxseeds to batter for things like blueberry muffins or buttermilk pancakes to augment them with “protein, fiber, nutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fat that ups the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and boosts satiety, so you’ll feel fuller longer after eating,” Sass says. Try a 3-tablespoon scoop, Ehsani suggests, for 5.5–9.5 more grams of protein per batch.

5. Bulk up Any Salad with Beans

A salad is a gut-friendly, micronutrient-rich addition to your day, whether you savor it alongside a sandwich at lunch or love diving into a big bowl of greens as an entrée. You’re probably well aware that ordering or building your salad with something like grilled salmon, chicken, or shrimp on top will amplify the protein element, but Brown is also a fan of adding beans to the mix. Supplement your salad with ½ cup drained and rinsed beans or edamame, she suggests, and you’ll accrue 7 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber from the plant-based protein source, “which has been shown to be protective against chronic disease,” Brown adds.

6. Use Greek Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream

Many sandwich spreads, salad dressings, and dips start with sour cream. For a similar consistency and more protein per serving, sub in Greek yogurt. “Plain Greek yogurt tastes the same as regular sour cream,” Brown says, and using it as a swap for something like the creamy base of chicken salad can boost your protein intake quickly. (For reference, a small container of nonfat Greek yogurt has about 16 grams of protein.)

7. Snack On a Zesty Cottage-Cheese Dip

While you’re in the dairy aisle, snag a carton of cottage cheese, which is a surprisingly impactful post-workout food thanks to its high protein-to-calorie ratio and its strong calcium content. If your sweat session wraps up between meals, Brown recommends blending together ½ cup of cottage cheese (12 grams of protein) with ¼ cup of salsa. Use veggie sticks to scoop it up. “This makes a great post-workout recovery snack while also boosting antioxidants,” Brown says.

8. Pack Smart ‘Emergency Snacks’

Snack time is a great opportunity to squeeze more protein into your diet. Consider stashing some “emergency snacks” in your bag, desk, or car so you always have a high-protein option on hand. Everything from jerky to a protein bar to a piece of fruit with a nut butter packet (a favorite of Ehsani’s) works great—and allows for a protein boost in a shelf-stable package. 

For anyone who struggles to snooze soundly, Sass awards bonus points to any snacks that include plant-based protein, such as a single-serving bag of pistachios, a handful of roasted chickpeas, or some dried edamame. “Research shows that eating more plant protein is tied to better sleep quality,” she says.

9. Try Tahini Instead of Mayonnaise

The next time you’re tossing together a slaw or salad, or need a schmear for your sandwich, Sass suggests leaving the mayo on the shelf and reaching for tahini (aka sesame seed paste) instead. “Tahini is a rich, creamy, plant-based spread, dip, or dressing that provides protein, along with good fat and key minerals, like iron, zinc, and calcium,” Sass says. Just 2 tablespoons adds 5 grams of protein to your daily tally.

10. Increase the Protein On Pasta Night—No Extra Ingredients Required

Pasta can be a great base for extra vegetables and lean protein. Ehsani and Sass recommend setting the foundation for a well-balanced bowl by replacing regular pasta with noodles made with pulses, such as beans, lentils, peas, or chickpeas. 

“Pulses, which provide protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, help regulate blood sugar and insulin levels and have been shown to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease and support a healthy gut microbiome,” Sass says. In lieu of approximately 7 grams of protein per cup of rotini, try pulse pasta for 12 grams per 2-ounce dry serving (about 1 cup cooked).

11. Create Easy Vegan ‘Cheesy’ Popcorn

Feeling peckish after dinner, or in the mood for a nosh as you watch TV in the evening? Air-popped popcorn is a high-fiber win, offering about 3 grams each of protein and fiber per 3-cup serving. For 5 grams of additional protein in a matter of a shake or two, toss your popcorn with 2 tablespoons of vegan-friendly nutritional yeast. “In addition to protein, nutritional yeast provides energy-supporting B vitamins, antioxidants, and a special type of fiber called beta-glucan that supports immune function,” Sass says.

Why Timing Is Helpful for Getting More Protein

Anyone who moves more will always need more protein than they did at rest, and one of the best fixes for how to get more protein is adding more of the macro to your diet throughout the day, our experts agree. (The tips listed above can help with that!)

“Most of the research indicates that our bodies best utilize protein for maintenance, healing, and repair when it’s spread out evenly throughout the day,” Sass says. “Plus, protein is satiating and delays stomach emptying, so it’s difficult for most people to eat large amounts of protein in one meal, meaning you might not hit your target if you try to squeeze more protein into fewer meals.”

Rather than only eating protein after a workout or attempting to “catch up” at dinner when you’ve fallen short, try to prioritize it at every meal and snack. When Ehsani’s clients ask about how to get more protein from morning to night, she recommends that they set a goal of a certain gram amount at every meal (say, 25 grams), and also suggests that they sneak in a couple high-protein snacks between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

“Providing your body with a constant supply of protein is essential, as we don’t actually store protein in our body,” Ehsani explains. “We can store fat and carb reserves, but not protein.”

How Much Protein Should You Aim for Every Day, Again?

The dietitians we spoke with agree that the National Academy of Medicine’s recommended dietary allowance of just 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for adults (which works out to 54 grams for a 150-pound person) is essentially a baseline for normal function. If you’re active in any way beyond lying in bed, your cells will probably need more. 

The “ideal” amount of protein varies by age, sex, muscle mass, and how long and how hard you exercise, but “people who engage in aerobic or strength training exercise have higher protein needs than an inactive person to support healing and recovery from the ‘wear and tear’ exercise puts on the body,” Sass says. 

As such, the International Society of Sports Nutrition says that 1.4–2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day should be enough for most active adults. (That works out to 95–136 grams for a 150-pound athlete.)

Want to get more specific? While Sass reminds us that protein targets should be personalized based on an individual’s needs and goals, she suggests the following daily quotas as a rough guide:

Important to note: Some experts say that eating more than 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight could be considered excessive, so it’s not a bad idea to check in with a dietitian before amping up that high. “A registered dietitian nutritionist can help you figure out your exact needs based on your needs and goals,” Ehsani says.

After all of this discussion about how to get more protein—and why it matters—Sass clarifies that it shouldn’t overshadow other parts of your lifestyle. 

“Keep in mind that protein is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to exercise recovery and muscle building,” she says. “Don’t forget to pay attention to the quality, balance, and adequacy of your overall diet, in addition to proper hydration, sleep, and other healthy lifestyle habits,” including full rest days and active recovery to allow those muscles time to heal and come back stronger.