Dinner is easy for many people
Takeout. Prepackaged microwavables. Anything that involves cooking a bunch of ground beef.
If you’re trying to stick to a sensible meal plan, though, it can get trickier. And especially if you want to still enjoy your last meal of the day.
It’s just too easy to eat too many “empty calories” and too little protein, which not only messes with your macros, but increases the likelihood that you’re going to wind up hungry later at night.
Well, these 10 high-protein dinners are going to help.
As you’ll see, they’re easy to make and high in protein, and they taste great, too.
Enjoy!
Picture courtesy of Floating Kitchen
Sandwiches are a great way to eat a lot of protein, but you can do one better than deli meat. Start by putting a pork roast in your slow cooker, and you’ll have shredded meat that’s perfect for a hefty barbecue sandwich.
And this healthy high-protein dinner is even better with squash on top. Slice it and roast it in the oven for an easy way to add nutrition and flavor.
Serves 8
Ingredients
Pork Sandwiches:
2 1/2 lbs. boneless pork roast
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
8 brioche buns
Squash:
1 delicata squash
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Coleslaw:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
3 cups coleslaw mix
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 574
Protein: 46 grams
Carbs: 58 grams
Fat: 17 grams
Picture courtesy of Cooking on the Side
If you love baked chicken with a crispy crust on the outside, you’ll need more than bread crumbs. This healthy recipe adds pecans to the panko for an extra crunchy coating.
That also provides more flavor to upgrade your high-protein chicken dinner, especially since it’s dipped in pure maple syrup to get the breading to stick.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
Coase salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 389
Protein: 36 grams
Carbs: 27 grams
Fat: 16 grams
Picture courtesy of Café Johnsonia
Even if you eat meat, you’ll be craving this delicious vegetarian stew throughout the winter. It’s hearty with root veggies and lentils, offering healthy carbs and fiber.
And luckily you don’t need meat to enjoy a high-protein vegan dinner like this one. Serve with crusty bread, and you’ll have a filling meal with over 25 grams of protein.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
8 oz. baby carrots
1 fennel bulb, cut into 8 wedges
1 1/2 cups French green lentils (or brown lentils), rinsed well and drained
1/2 cup white wine (or water)
3 cups vegetable stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 410
Protein: 24 grams
Carbs: 62 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Picture courtesy of Primavera Kitchen
To make a low-calorie, high-protein bodybuilding dinner, you can’t go wrong with chicken and sweet potatoes. But you might think you need to cook them separately, or wait for a roast to come out of the oven.
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and you can cook everything in the same pan in under a half hour. Alternatively, you can use this recipe to make a healthy shrimp skillet.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)
1/2 lb. asparagus, diagonally cut into 1” pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 196
Protein: 29 grams
Carbs: 9 grams
Fat: 5 grams
Picture courtesy of My Korean Kitchen
Soup can be delicious, but when it’s filling, that’s usually from veggies, pasta, and beans. This easy high-protein dinner recipe is just as comforting, but it’s also low-carb.
Along with beef, which is the bulk of the stew, this includes Korean kimchi for a different take on healthy cabbage soup.
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 cups kimchi, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 1/4 lbs. chuck steak
2 cups water
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. rice wine
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
1 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean chili paste)
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 374
Protein: 45 grams
Carbs: 10 grams
Fat: 14 grams
Picture courtesy of The Kitchn
Turn a whole chicken into a family-sized feast. Although historical records can’t tell us how the Vikings cooked, it’s safe to say they would have thrived on a hearty dinner like this.
After all, who doesn’t love a nourishing meal of meat and potatoes? Only this roast chicken is served with a whole lot more. You can switch up the veggies, like sweet potato and asparagus, and add a crisp fruit like apples or pears.
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 lb. whole chicken
1 small lemon (or clementine)
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 large yellow onions
3 apples (or quince)
1 lb. Brussels sprouts
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1/2 lb. carrots
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 553
Protein: 42 grams
Carbs: 30 grams
Fat: 31 grams
Picture courtesy of Food and Wine
This is the ultimate chicken pot pie – made in an actual cast-iron pot, if you have one. It’s a rustic pot pie, not a neatly formed pastry, so just roughly chop the veggies and start cooking them on the stove. Then the whole dish gets covered in biscuit dough before it goes in the oven.
This chicken recipe is great for leftovers from a roast. You could also poach chicken to shred, or pick up a rotisserie chicken for the sake of convenience.
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced
1 large carrot, cut into 1/3” chunks
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups + 1 Tbsp. self-rising flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups shredded chicken (about 1 lb.)
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. whole milk
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 402
Protein: 28 grams
Carbs: 34 grams
Fat: 16 grams
Picture courtesy of Nom Nom Paleo
You don’t even need cookware to make a high-protein dinner for weight loss. Instead of a roasting pan or skillet, you just need parchment paper or aluminum foil, plus an oven-safe plate or tray to put them on.
Get more easy, healthy recipes from the Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans cookbook. It has chapters for eggs, seafood, meat, and more nutritious ingredients for a high-protein meal plan.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz. each)
4 summer squash, thinly sliced into coins
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
8 pitted green olives, halved
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 425
Protein: 44 grams
Carbs: 19 grams
Fat: 21 grams
Picture courtesy of Amuse Your Bouche
The great thing about a casserole is you can make substitutions depending on what you want to eat. To make a high-protein vegetarian dinner, you can still use sausage – just pick up a veggie version made from wheat gluten or soy.
If you’d rather eat meat, using turkey sausage in this recipe equals a similar amount of protein per serving, and this veggie casserole will still be low-fat.
Serves 2
Ingredients
4 vegetarian sausages (or 6 small sausage links)
1/2 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 medium mushrooms, sliced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. tomato puree
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 335
Protein: 26 grams
Carbs: 33 grams
Fat: 12 grams
Picture courtesy of cdkitchen
For a quick high-protein dinner, the pressure cooker is your friend in the kitchen. You can cook salmon in under 10 minutes, and the fish comes out tender and flaky every time.
This couldn’t be easier to make, and once you know the method, just switch the seasonings and cooking liquid to match the side dishes.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
1 3/4 lbs. salmon steaks, approximately 1” thick
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup water
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
Calories: 330
Protein: 43 grams
Carbs: 5 grams
Fat: 12 grams
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That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $299.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
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