How to Eat 150 Grams of Protein a Day: A Meal Plan
By: John W. Defeo
Tags: Health Foods, Healthy Eating, Meal Planning, Protein, High Protein Food

Foods Appearing in This Composite Image, Clockwise From the Top Left: Kashi; Silk; Bob’s Red Mill; Applegate Farms; Dave’s Killer Bread; OrganicGirl; Goya; Dannon: Genova; Galbani.

Disclosure: This article does not contain personal dietary advice. It is a hypothetical menu that doesn’t consider allergies or dietary restrictions.

The U.S. dietary supplement industry is a mess. That’s the conclusion I reached after researching protein powders and bars for a week. Thankfully, it’s not hard to eat 150 grams of lean protein in a day without the aid of supplements. (More on that below.)

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulates how food is processed, packaged, and labeled, but supplements aren’t policed as thoroughly. Hence, the companies that market supplements mostly police themselves.

There are trusted third-parties like NSF International that certify the ingredients in supplements. But, certified products are generally more expensive than uncertified ones (and just because a product is certified doesn’t mean that it is healthy).

On the flip side, it’s easy to find cheap protein powders, but are they good?

Body Fortress Whey Protein is a relatively cheap protein powder with excellent user reviews. The Clean Label Project gives this protein top marks based on an independent analysis that tested for purity, label accuracy and contaminants. Meanwhile, this same protein was given a D-rating by Labdoor (a company that tests products in an FDA-registered laboratory).

I trust the FDA more than any supplement company or testing website. That’s why this article focuses on high-protein packaged foods with minimal processing. The menu below contains a day’s worth of meals and snacks (totaling less than 2,000 calories) that require little-to no-preparation. Most of these products are available on Amazon Fresh and Walmart, but frankly, your supermarket may have better prices overall.

Sample Menu

A nutritional summary of the hypothetical menu that appears below.

Breakfast (Cereal)

Kashi Go Lean (1 1/4 Cups)

Silk Unsweetened Soy Milk (1 Cup)

1 Large Banana

Approximate Meal Cost: $1.40

Morning Snack

Galbani Part-Skim Ricotta (1/2 Cup)

Honey (1 Tea Spoon)

Approximate Snack Cost: $0.80

Lunch (Sandwich)

Dave’s Killer Good Seed Bread (2 Slices)

Applegate Farms Herb Turkey Breast (4 Slices)

Organic Girl Protein Blend (0.2 Oz.)

Approximate Meal Cost: $4.10

Midday Snack

Pumpkin Seeds (1/2 Cup)

Approximate Snack Cost: $1.75

Dinner (Salad)

Genova Albacore in Oil (1 Can)

Goya Dark Kidney Beans (1 Can)

Organic Girl Protein Blend (4 Oz.)

Approximate Meal Cost: $7.75

Evening Snack

Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt (6 Oz.)

Approximate Snack Cost: $1.25

Notes About Sugar, Potassium and Protein Timing

The full meal plan contains 65 grams of sugar, which exceeds the daily allowance recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, most of these sugars are from fruits, vegetables and milk; the WHO concludes that “there is no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars.” On the other hand, the sugar found in honey is considered a “free” sugar (aka, bad sugar).

I included potassium in the nutrition table because 98% of Americans fail to consume the amount recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The foods above are potassium-rich, yet still fall short of 4,700 mg/day that the USDA recommends. Here is a list of high potassium foods, including many vegetables, that are easily added to salads or other simple meals.

The body synthesizes protein at different speeds, depending on the source and type of protein. Whey protein (found in ricotta cheese) is a “fast” protein that is put to use quickly by the body. Meanwhile, casein protein (found in yogurt) is a “slow” protein that is harder for the body to digest. Some researchers suggest that whey protein is best consumed around workout times while casein protein is best consumed before sleep. That said, clinical studies are inconsistent or wishy-washy on these points.

About the Author: John DeFeo is a fitness enthusiast who was formerly the head of insights for Live Science.