How to Get 50 Grams of Protein Each Day

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Tips and sample meals to help you reach your protein goals

Co-authored by Lyssandra Guerra and Annabelle Reyes

Last Updated: November 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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50g of Protein Per Day

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50g of Protein Per Meal

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Examples of 50g Protein

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Daily Protein Needs

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High Protein Foods

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FAQs

Protein is an essential nutrient that helps your body work properly, so it’s important to get enough of it in your diet. But do you really need 50 grams of protein per day? And if so, how can you make sure that you reach your daily goal? We’ve compiled a complete guide on eating 50 grams of protein per day, including example meals. Plus, we’ve included some expert tips from Holistic Life Coach Jeff Siegel and Registered Dietitian Kelly Gomez to help you understand and fulfill your protein needs.

Getting 50 Grams of Protein

50 g is a rough estimate of the amount of protein an adult should eat daily. For context, a 3-ounce serving of chicken breast contains about 29.5 grams of protein, so two servings would total over 50 grams. To get 50 grams of protein daily, include high-protein foods like meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and tofu in your diet.

Section 1 of 6:

How to Eat 50 Grams of Protein Per Day: 5-Day Meal Plan

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1
Sample Day of Eating #1
- Breakfast: 2 eggs any style, half an avocado, 1 slice of toast (16.5 grams of protein)
- Lunch: Salad of your choice topped with 2 ounces of grilled chicken (19 grams of protein)
- Dinner: 3 ounces of salmon with sides of your choice (21 grams of protein)
- Total: about 56.5 grams of protein
2
Sample Day of Eating #2
- Breakfast: 1 slice toast topped with 1 tbsp peanut butter and banana slices (6.5 grams of protein)
- Lunch: Sandwich with 2 slices turkey deli meat and veggies/sauces of your choice (18 grams of protein)
- Dinner: Pasta with a sauce of your choice topped with 3 ounces of chicken (29.5 grams of protein)
- Total: about 54 grams of protein
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3
Sample Day of Eating #3
- Breakfast: 3 egg omelet with veggies (18 grams of protein)
- Lunch: Sandwich wrap of your choice with 3 ounces of grilled chicken (19 grams of protein)
- Dinner: Stir fry with veggies and 3 ounces of salmon (21 grams of protein)
- Total: about 58 grams of protein
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Sample Day of Eating #4 (Vegetarian) There are a lot of great protein sources out there for vegetarians, but you may have to make more of an effort to get enough in your diet. Here’s an example of what a day of eating can look like for a vegetarian aiming for a daily protein intake of 50 grams:
- Breakfast: 6 ounces Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp hemp seeds, half cup of berries (23.32) grams of protein)
- Lunch: Egg salad sandwich on whole wheat bread (13.94 grams of protein)
- Dinner: Stir fry with 1 cup of brown rice, 3 ounces of tofu, and 1 cup of broccoli (17 grams of protein)
- Total: about 54 grams of protein
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Sample Day of Eating #5 (Vegan) Vegans avoid all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. If you eat a vegan diet, it can be a bit tougher to get 50 grams of protein per day, but with a bit of effort and meal planning, it’s entirely possible! Here’s an example of a day of vegan eating for someone with a daily protein target of 50 grams:
- Breakfast: 1 cup rolled oatmeal topped with 2 tbsp of peanut butter and a half cup of berries (13 grams of protein)
- Lunch: Chickpea “tuna” salad sandwich on whole wheat bread (20 grams of protein)
- Dinner: Veggie stir fry with 6 ounces of tofu and 1 cup of brown rice (23 grams of protein)
- Total: about 56 grams of protein

Section 2 of 6:

How to Eat 50 Grams of Protein Per Meal

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Getting 50 grams of protein per meal is a bit harder to do. However, if you have a pretty high daily protein goal based on factors like your weight or activity level, it may make sense for you to try to get this much protein in one meal. Here are some example meals that contain about 50 g of protein each:
- Breakfast:
  - 3 egg omelet with ½ cup of cheese, half an avocado, 2 slices of turkey bacon, and 1 slice of whole wheat toast (49.5 grams of protein)
  - 1 container of Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp of peanut butter, a handful of berries, a hard-boiled egg, 1 slice of whole wheat toast, and 1 ounce of almonds (44 grams of protein)
- Lunch:
  - Salad of your choice topped with 3 ounces of grilled chicken breast and ½ cup of cheese, and veggies with ⅓ cup of hummus on the side (50.5 grams of protein)
  - Turkey sandwich with 4 slices of turkey deli meat, 1 slice of cheese, and 2 slices of whole wheat bread, with a container of Greek yogurt on the side (50.3 grams of protein)
- Dinner:
  - 6 ounces of salmon, 1 cup of quinoa, 1 cup of broccoli (54 grams of protein)
  - Stir fry with 4 ounces of chicken, veggies of your choice, and 1.5 cups of brown rice (49 grams of protein)

Section 3 of 6:

What does 50 grams of protein look like?

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50 grams of protein looks different for different food groups. Meat and animal products are very good sources of protein, so it takes a bit less of them to reach 50 grams of protein. For vegetarian foods like tofu, beans, or peanut butter, several servings are required to hit the 50-gram mark. Here are some examples of what approximately 50 grams of protein looks like for various foods:
- 7 ounces of beef, chicken, turkey, pork, or fish = 49 grams of protein
- 9 eggs = 54 grams of protein
- 17 ounces of tofu = 51 grams of protein
- 48 ounces (6 cups) of skim or 1% milk = 48 grams of protein
- 20 oz of Greek yogurt = 48 grams of protein
- 3 cups of kidney, navy, cannellini, or black beans = 48 grams
- 2 cups of cottage cheese = 56 grams of protein
- 14 tbsp of peanut butter = 49 grams of protein^{[1]
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- In order to sneak more protein into your daily diet, Gomez recommends tofu, “a package of which can have close to 30 grams of protein” and “things like peanut butter and almond butter, [which] you can just throw on a sandwich or have some spoonfuls here and there.”

Section 4 of 6:

How much protein do you need per day?

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The amount of protein you need each day depends on a few factors. In general, it’s recommended that you eat between .8 g and 1 g of protein per kilogram of your body weight on a daily basis. For example, if you weigh 170 pounds (77 kg), you should eat between 61.6 g and 77 g of protein each day.
- If you’re not sure of your weight in kilograms, multiply your weight in pounds by .36 to determine your daily protein intake. You can also use this helpful online protein calculator to determine your target daily protein intake.^{[2]
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- So, is 50 grams of protein per day enough? For a relatively active adult to meet their recommended daily protein intake, at least 10% of their calories should come from protein. This means that someone eating a diet of 2,000 calories per day should eat at least 50 grams of protein.^{[3]
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  - It’s important to note, however, that individual protein needs vary based on age, sex, activity level, and whether or not you’re pregnant, so 50 grams of protein may be too much or too little depending on your circumstances.^{[4]
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- It’s crucial to include enough protein in your diet, as Gomez explains. “Protein does a billion different things in our body, and muscle building is really just one of them…protein is [also] necessary for hormone development and for different enzymes to do their job.”
EXPERT TIP

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.

Monica Morris
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

Protein is the building block of most tissue in the body. If you don't get enough protein, you might experience injury, weight gain, dry nails, or split ends. On a more superficial level, it would be easy to tell because you'll get hungry more often.

Section 5 of 6:

High Protein Foods

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Some high-protein foods include meat, eggs, dairy, and tofu. Here’s a list of some foods that are considered good sources of protein, including how much protein they each contain per serving:
- Meat (3 ounce servings)
  - Beef: 26.2 grams of protein^{[5]
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  - Chicken: 29.5 grams of protein
  - Ground Turkey: 23.3 grams of protein^{[6]
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- Seafood (3 ounce servings):
  - Salmon: 21.6 grams of protein^{[7]
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  - Crabmeat, shrimp, or lobster: 18 grams of protein^{[8]
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- Vegetarian Meat Substitutes:
  - 3.5 ounces of tofu: 8 grams of protein
  - 3 ounces of tempeh: 15-16 grams of protein^{[9]
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- Eggs and Dairy:
  - 1 egg: 6 grams of protein
  - 8 ounces of skim or 1% milk: 8 grams of protein
  - ½ cup of cottage cheese: 14 grams of protein
  - 5 ounces of Greek yogurt: 12-18 grams of protein^{[10]
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- Grains:
  - 1 cup of quinoa: 8.14 grams of protein^{[11]
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  - 1 cup of brown rice: 5.54 grams of protein^{[12]
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  - 1 slice of whole wheat bread: 3.97 grams of protein^{[13]
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- Nuts, Seeds, and Legumes:
  - ½ cup of kidney, black, navy, or cannellini beans: 8g of protein
  - ⅓ cup of hummus: 7 grams of protein
  - ¼ cup of nuts: 4-6 grams of protein
  - 2 tbsp of peanut butter: 7 grams of protein
  - 1 ounce of sunflower seeds: 5 grams of protein

Section 6 of 6:

Protein FAQs

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Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps your body function properly, and it’s made from building blocks called amino acids.^{[14]
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Research source} In a typical diet, protein comes from foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, tofu, seeds, nuts, beans, and lentils.^{[15]
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When is the best time to consume protein? It’s best to spread out your protein intake evenly throughout the day.^{[16]
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Harvard Medical School
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Go to source} So, if your goal is to eat 50 grams of protein each day, you should aim to eat about 16.6 grams of protein for each meal.
- You should also consume protein after a workout since protein aids the growth and repair of your muscles. Your body is also especially primed to utilize protein right after you’ve exercised.^{[17]
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What if you want to use a protein supplement? If you’re having a hard time getting enough protein in your regular diet, you may want to use a protein supplement, such as protein powders or ready-to-drink protein shakes. Protein shakes can “lead to faster absorption of nutrients,” according to Siegel. However, not all protein supplements are created equal, so it’s important to look for one that meets these health standards:^{[18]
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- 100-200 calories per serving
- 20-30 grams of protein per serving
- Less than 5 grams of sugar per serving
- At least 15 grams of protein per 100 calories^{[19]
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