High-Protein Diet

A high-protein diet means eating more protein than the baseline recommendation. It's usually done by building each meal around a protein source and filling the rest of the plate with other foods, rather than cutting out a food group. There's no single official version or governing organization. It's a macronutrient emphasis, not a branded plan.

It's also the most common diet Americans report following. In the International Food Information Council's 2025 Food & Health Survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, 23% said they had followed a high-protein diet in the past year. That was the most common answer for the third year in a row.

The reference point is the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. The RDA is set to cover the basic needs of nearly all healthy adults, not to be an ideal target. A 2015 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition described higher-protein diets as roughly 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day, with at least about 25–30 g of protein per meal.

Higher protein doesn't mean unlimited calories. In a controlled overfeeding trial, people eating 40% more calories than they needed gained body fat at similar levels whether the diet was normal- or high-protein. Protein changed how much of the extra weight was lean tissue, not how much fat was stored. Total calories still decide whether you lose, maintain, or gain weight. Protein mainly affects appetite and what that weight change is made of.

Want a personal number? Our Protein Calculator works out a daily target from your weight and goal.

The evidence is reasonably strong for short-term, tightly controlled weight-loss trials, and the benefits there are real but modest. Longer-term results are less consistent, mainly because people find it hard to keep eating the prescribed amount of protein over months and years.

Emphasized: poultry, fish and seafood, eggs, lean red meat, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, beans, and chickpeas. Protein powder is optional, not required, and there's more on it on our Protein supplement page.

Limited: nothing is formally off-limits. In practice, lower-protein refined carbohydrates and sweets get less room because protein takes up more of each meal. If total calories stay the same, raising protein means eating less carbohydrate, fat, or both.

Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries and a handful of nuts.

Lunch: grilled chicken and lentil salad with mixed vegetables and olive oil.

Snack: cottage cheese with fruit, or a hard-boiled egg.

Dinner: baked salmon or tofu, roasted vegetables, and brown rice.

Tends to suit people trying to lose weight who struggle with hunger, people who lift weights, and older adults. The PROT-AGE study group suggests adults over 65 average at least 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day, and more for those who are active or ill. It's flexible, works with most food preferences (including vegetarian eating, with more planning), and pairs easily with calorie or macro tracking.

Who should be cautious: anyone with chronic kidney disease should talk to their doctor first. The KDIGO 2024 kidney disease guideline suggests about 0.8 g/kg/day for adults with CKD stages G3–G5 and advises avoiding intakes above 1.3 g/kg/day for adults with CKD at risk of progression. That puts most high-protein targets off the table. Leaning heavily on processed or red meat to hit a protein number is also a different eating pattern from one built on fish, dairy, poultry, and legumes, even at the same protein total.