It can be incredibly tough to balance your meals sometimes, especially when diet is more complex than what wellness influencers share on your social media feed. For one thing, you need to balance nutrient-rich foods with calorie-dense options and consider carbs and fats, while also ensuring you keep an eye on your intake of sodium and sugar. But how does protein factor in?
The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines now suggest that the daily protein intake isn’t a fixed amount but rather a ratio tailored to individual needs. That being said, too much of anything, even protein, can be bad for your health.
Read more: How to Increase Protein Intake in 7 Easy Ways
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Why is protein important?
Protein is a vital part of your diet for maintaining muscle health and regulating weight, energy, hormones and more. But you should know that if you consume too much protein, then, like any other nutrient, it can be harmful to your health.
There are numerous Reddit threads filled with discussions about how much protein people need. Everyone has their own opinion on the right amount, but the truth is that it largely depends on your own body and health. The current guidelines recommend that adults aim for 0.36 grams of protein per pound — or 0.8 grams per kilogram — of body weight. To put that into perspective, according to the USDA’s dietary intake calculator, a person weighing 200 pounds would need about 73 grams of protein daily, while someone like me, who weighs 115 pounds, needs around 43 grams. Keep in mind, this calculator also takes into account your activity levels and BMI to give a more personalized recommendation.
That said, 43 or 73 grams of protein outside of powder supplements might be hard to imagine. Thankfully, we’re here to help you improve by showing you the best way to achieve your daily protein goal. Whether you’re an omnivore, herbivore or carnivore, we’ve gathered a wide selection of foods to help you portion your meals in the best way possible. However, be aware that the protein amounts below are based on specific products and their nutrition labels, so your figures may vary depending on the brand or preparation method.
Note: Each picture contains 100 grams of protein combined, not 100 grams per item.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for omnivores
Eating 100 grams of protein per day should be pretty easy if you don’t have any dietary restrictions. Here’s what that would look like:
- Two eggs (12 grams)
- Snack cheese (5 grams)
- Greek yogurt (15 grams)
- Beef sausage (14 grams)
- One can of tuna (27 grams)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- 2 ounces of deli ham (10 grams)
- 1 ounce of mixed nuts (5 grams)
- Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
Everything pictured above comes to 103 grams, which puts you slightly over your daily target.
What 100 grams of animal protein looks like for carnivores
As you can see, getting 100 grams of protein from animal products doesn’t take much:
- Four eggs (24 grams)
- One can of tuna (27 grams)
- Three beef meatballs (15 grams)
- 2 ounces of turkey bacon (10 grams)
- 3 ounces of turkey breast (24 grams)
This amounts to a perfect 100 grams of protein. If you ate all of this in a day, plus bread and other nonanimal products, you would surpass 100 grams of protein in a day.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for vegetarians
For vegetarians, 100 grams of protein might look like this:
- Four eggs (24 grams)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- Two snack cheeses (10 grams)
- ¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
- A single-serve Greek yogurt (15 grams)
- One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
- One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
This comes out to 99 grams of protein, which is pretty close.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for vegans
Reaching your protein targets levels up in difficulty when you swear off some of its best sources, but these days there are plenty of ways to meet your goals. This nut- and grain-rich array adds up to 79 grams of protein, the RDA for a 210-pound human.
- 1 ounce of nuts (5 grams)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- A protein granola bar (8 grams)
- Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
- ¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
- One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- Two tablespoons of chia seeds (10 grams)
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
- One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
If we double up on the mixed nuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds, this brings us to 93 grams of protein. You could add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or eat a full cup of oats, instead of half a cup, to come closer to 100 grams.
This plate also excludes high-protein vegan meat substitutes, such as tofu, tempeh or plant-based meats like the Impossible Burger. Those food sources can make it easier to get 100 grams of protein on a vegan diet.
The symptoms of protein deficiency — which is normally part of a broader eating disorder or nutrition deficiency — can vary, but the first one is usually brittle hair and nails, as the body is rationing the protein it does have to more important organs and systems. Other symptoms can include:
- Anemia: continual fatigue, feeling of weakness, shortness of breath
- Weakened immune system, leading to more frequent infections
- Difficulty maintaining focus
- Mood swings
- Muscle loss or weakness
- Swelling
- Weight fluctuations
The best way to incorporate a large amount of protein into your everyday diet is to invest in researching which protein-rich foods like lean meats, eggs, dairy, lentils and chickpeas will be suitable for your lifestyle. You can also implement in supplements, such as protein powder.
