How Much Protein Are Most People Eating Now
Because high is a relative term, discussions about whether you should eat a high protein diet are based upon a reference point. The typical reference point is the Recommended Daily Allowance for daily protein, which is set at 0.8 grams per kilo.6 For an average 154-pound person , that equates to 56 grams of protein per day about six ounces of steak. For women, the RDA is even less, around 46 grams.
However, the RDA recommendation addresses the minimum amount required to prevent protein deficiency. The minimum to prevent protein deficiency is not the same as the recommended amount to improve health a distinction that many people misunderstand.7
American men average 88 grams of protein per day, and women average 66 grams, which equates to only 14 to 16% of total calories.8 Of those protein calories, approximately 30% come from plant sources.9
The main take-home message is that most people are likely not eating enough protein for weight loss, metabolic health, and improving lean muscle mass.
Other Version Of A High Protein Diet
Some versions of a high protein diet are less well-rounded than the examples provided here. The basic premise of a high protein diet is to eat a larger amount of protein than other conventional diets. Some people eat processed foods, fatty foods, and/or sugary foods along with a high amount of protein. Examples include the “if it fits your macros” style of eating, or low-carb diets that focus on high fat foods like bacon and cheese.
What You Can And Can’t Eat
For protein, you can eat fish, poultry, red meat, low-fat cheese , eggs, and tofu.
Also allowed: leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, celery, cucumber, and mushrooms.
The plan calls for you to get 25 grams of fiber every day. You can also have some fats: olive and nut oils, avocado, and butter.
You can have diet sodas and artificial sweeteners in moderation.
A glass of wine or a light beer is OK, but their carbs count, too.
To round out nutritional needs, the authors recommend taking a high-quality vitamin-and-mineral supplement, along with at least 90 milligrams of potassium.
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Cons Of A 1200 Calorie High Protein Low Carb Diet
Despite the above benefits, a 1200 calories low carb high protein diet plan can have some cons and drawbacks. They include:
- Bloating and constipation.Due to consuming small amounts of carbs, your body tends to lack fiber. Fiber plays a vital role in keeping the digestive tract flowing and healthy, and without it, you are likely to suffer from bloating and constipation.
- Weight gain.This will most likely happen if you are not paying attention to your 1200 calorie limit. Healthy foods can make you gain weight because extra calories will still be converted into fat regardless of whether they are from healthy or unhealthy food sources.
- Heart disease.When choosing high protein low carb foods, some people choose options that are quite high in fats such as red meat and full-fat dairy products. These foods cause high cholesterol leading to clogged arteries, heart attacks, and strokes. Always go for lean cuts of meat and low fat dairy products.
- Increased risks of kidney stones .
- Worsening kidney problems.Anyone with a kidney problem should not try a high protein low carbohydrate diet because your body may have trouble eliminating all the waste products of protein metabolism.
While the 1200 calorie high protein low carb diet is a relatively safe eating plan for most people, it is always a good idea to first speak to your doctor or dietitian before deciding to undertake it.
Level Of Effort: Medium

Like many high-protein, low-carb diets, you may really need to change what you’re eating while you’re on this plan.
Limitations: Low-carb diets cut out a lot of foods.
Cooking and shopping: The book has sample menus with more than 100 recipes, and suggestions on how to order in every kind of restaurant.
Packaged foods or meals: None are required.
In-person meetings: No.
Exercise: Yes. The authors suggest resistance training, such as weight lifting, to help burn stored fat.
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How To Follow A High
A high-protein diet is easy to follow and can be customized according to your own food preferences and health-related goals.
For instance, you may want to follow a low-carb, high-protein diet to keep your blood sugar under control.
If you avoid milk products, you can follow a dairy-free diet that is rich in protein.
Even a vegetarian diet can be high in protein if it includes eggs or dairy and plenty of legumes and other plant proteins.
Here are a few basic guidelines for following a high-protein diet:
- Keep a food diary: Start a food diary using an app or website that provides protein values for thousands of foods and allows you to set your own calorie and macronutrient goals.
- Calculate protein needs: To calculate your protein needs, multiply your weight in pounds by 0.60.75 grams, or your weight in kilograms by 1.21.6 grams.
- Eat at least 2530 grams of protein at meals: Research has shown that consuming a minimum of 25 grams of protein at meals may promote weight loss, muscle maintenance and better overall health .
- Include both animal and plant proteins in your diet: Eating a combination of both types helps make your diet more nutritious overall.
- Choose high-quality protein sources: Focus on fresh meats, eggs, dairy and other proteins, rather than processed meats like bacon and lunch meats.
- Consume well-balanced meals: Balance high-protein foods with vegetables, fruits and other plant foods at every meal.
What You Can Eat
A high-protein diet generally recommends getting more than 20% of your total calories from protein. That typically means eating fewer calories from carbohydrates or fats to keep your calorie total in balance.
No foods are expressly forbidden on a high protein diet, but eating more lean proteins and fewer refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fats are recommended.
There is no suggested meal timing for a high-protein diet. However, some people on a high-protein plan also practice intermittent fasting, which involves restricting calories to specific days of the week and fasting on others, or going for extended periods without eating each day, such as 16 hours a day.
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The Importance Of Protein
Protein is important for numerous reasons, from its biological function to the impact it has on body composition and even satiety.
Here are some potential benefits of a higher protein intake
- High protein diets are beneficial for bone health. A systematic review of randomized trials and cohort studies shows that i) optimal protein intake is important for lifelong bone health and ii) protein intake at levels above current recommendations appears to prevent bone mass density loss .
- High protein meals lead to greater satiety. In comparison to high-fat or high-carbohydrate meals, meals with higher protein content have a higher satiating effect. In other words, protein is the most satiating macronutrient. Greater satiation can lead to a reduction in food consumption, leading to better weight regulation .
- Foods high in protein are nutrient-dense. Consider all the high-protein foods you can think of eggs, beef, liver, nuts, fish, and seafood. These foods are all incredibly high in beneficial vitamins and minerals, including nutrients, such as preformed vitamin A , that cant be found elsewhere .
- Improved body composition. As noted in the ISSNs recent position stand, a growing number of studies demonstrate that increasing dietary protein intake above current recommendations improves body composition .
Key Point:
How Much Protein Should You Eat At Each Meal
If you want to eat 30g protein at each meal with some high-protein snacks, your day could look like this.
Breakfast: 3 boiled eggs with 3 small slices of bacon Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad followed by Greek yogurt .Dinner: 2 beef patties with a fried egg and coleslaw.Snacks: 3 slices turkey , a small can of tuna , a handful of walnuts , cubes of cheese .
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What To Eat On A 1200 Calorie High Protein Low Carb Diet
Being on this diet does not mean that you will have a hard time finding meals to consume and being full and energized throughout the day. However, if you are unsure, this 1200 calorie high protein low carb diet food list will give ideas of what foods to shop for and which ones to avoid.
Foods that you can safely add to your 1200 calorie high protein low carb diet menu include:
Is It Better To Eat More Protein
The most common myth of the keto diet is that you must eat excessive fat. In fact, it is the most common mistake people make and the most common reason weight loss stops.
The keto food pyramid helps you to set your carbs , protein , and fat .
When starting a low-carbohydrate diet, you add plenty of healthy fats to your meals and snacks but NOT to excess. Do not drink bulletproof coffees and continuously eat fat bombs.
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What Does 100 Calories Look Like
100 calories from carbs – will trigger raised blood sugars, hunger, and cravings. Example 9 crisps.
100 calories from protein – will indirectly raise blood sugars moderately but keep you full and provide all the essential amino acids your body needs to function. Example small handful of prawns.
100 calories from fat – will not affect blood sugars but will keep you satiated. Example 1 tablespoon of butter.
Eating more protein keeps you fuller for longer but with fewer calories than fat. .
A Sample High Protein Low Carb Diet Meal Plan

Here is a sample one-day meal plan to show how this diet can work.
This particular diet plan is aimed at someone weighing 175 lbs , its moderately low in carbohydrate, and its designed to hit the RDA for all essential nutrients.
However, it is a basic template, and the food amounts/choices can be changed to suit personal tastes.
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Health Benefits Of A Low
The benefits of a low-protein diet mostly apply to people with specific health conditions or diseases, rather than those who are generally healthy.
Excess protein is typically broken down by the liver, producing a waste product called urea, which is excreted by the kidneys .
This helps improve protein metabolism and prevents a buildup of urea in the bloodstream.
Having high levels of urea in the blood causes symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss and changes in mental status .
It may also be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and death in those with heart failure (
8 ).
Some research has also found that low-protein diets may be associated with several health benefits for the general population.
According to one review, restricted protein intake in middle-aged adults was associated with increased life expectancy and reduced risks of chronic conditions like cancer, heart disease and diabetes .
However, more studies are still needed to evaluate the potential long-term benefits of protein restriction in healthy adults.
Summary Reducing protein intake can be beneficial for those with conditions like liver and kidney disease, phenylketonuria and homocystinuria. One review also reported that it may increase longevity and reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Lower Risk Of Heart Disease
One of the side benefits of reaching a healthy weight and having lean body mass is that you lower your risk for heart disease. Inflammation is the real cause of heart disease, not cholesterol .
If you have high blood pressure, then reducing your carbohydrate intake and sugars have been shown to reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors such as inflammation and raised triglycerides.
A high protein diet may reduce blood pressure and reduce triglycerides and inflammation which are the real cause of heart disease, not cholesterol.
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Beef Pork Veal And Lamb
Its best to limit your intake of red meat which is often higher in saturated fat and processed meats like ham, bacon and hot dogs which are often higher in saturated fat and sodium. If you decide to have these, choose the leanest options, which are:
- Select or Choice grades of beef trimmed of fat including: chuck, rib, rump roast, round, sirloin, cubed, flank, porterhouse, T-bone steak or tenderloin
- Lamb: chop, leg or roast
- Veal: loin chop or roast
- Pork: Canadian bacon, center loin chop, ham or tenderloin
What Foods Should You Eat On A High
Not sure what a high-protein, low-carb diet looks like in action? Here are the foods to regularly include on your plate:
- Protein sources: grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, eggs, shellfish, collagen protein, whey protein, and low-carb protein bars like IQBAR. IQBARs are vegan and keto-friendly and contain only 1-2 grams of sugar and 3 net carbs per bar. Each bar also contains 12 grams of protein andsix key brain nutrients.
- Low-carb veggies: leafy greens like spinach and kale, asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower.
- Low–carb fruits: berries, lemons, limes, coconut, and avocado.
- Healthy fats: extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and MCT oil.
- Nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Higher-carb fruits and veggies are also acceptable in limited amounts.
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Drawbacks Of The Low Gi Diet
Although the low GI diet has several benefits, it also has a number of drawbacks.
First, the GI doesnt provide a complete nutritional picture. Its important to also consider the fat, protein, sugar, and fiber contents of a food, regardless of its GI.
For example, the GI of frozen french fries is 75. Some varieties of baked potato, a healthier alternative, have a GI of 93 or more.
In fact, there are many unhealthy low GI foods, such as a Twix bar and ice cream .
Another drawback is that the GI measures the effect of a single food on blood sugar levels. However, most foods are consumed as part of a larger mixed meal, making the GI difficult to predict in these circumstances .
Lastly, as mentioned earlier, the GI doesnt take into account the number of carbs you eat. However, this is an important factor in determining their effect on your blood sugar levels.
For example, watermelon has a high GI of 7280 and therefore wouldnt be considered the best option when following a low GI diet.
However, watermelon also has a low carb content, containing under 8 grams of carbs per 100 grams. In fact, a typical serving of watermelon has a low GL of 45 and a minimal effect on blood sugar levels .
This highlights that using GI in isolation may not always be the best predictor of blood sugar levels. Its important to also consider the carb content and GL of a food.
How To Make High Protein Birthday Cake
Ive made this cake several times and swapped out a few ingredients here and there.
I first made a yellow cake, and used cake batter flavoring, which not only tasted good, but also turned the cake very yellow.
I also tried it with birthday cake protein powder, and vanilla protein powder. I honestly thought they tasted exactly the same! So, no need to buy a special flavor of protein powder. Just use the vanilla powder .
I also made the frosting a few times. The first time I tried a new flavor extract I found called, cream cheese flavor. I mixed this into my plain greek yogurt and sugar free pudding mix. NOT GOOD!! Seriously, dont try that at home.
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Carry The Appropriate Snacks
Many people can confess that they are snackers. However, choosing the right diet-appropriate snack can be hard to do when faced with more options. To prevent this, choose to carry low carb high protein snacks such as hard boiled eggs, unsweetened yogurt, a handful of nuts, and cheese slices as long as they are counted within the 1200 calorie intake for the day.
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Who Should Follow A High

The high-protein, low-sugar diet is appropriate for most healthy adults who exercise regularly and who are trying to consume most of their carbohydrates from nutrient-dense foods. A high-protein diet should not be followed by anyone who has problems with her kidneys or has been told by her physician to limit her protein intake.
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Factors That Affect The Gi Of A Food
A number of factors can influence the GI value of a food or meal, including:
- The type of sugar it contains. Theres a misconception that all sugars have a high GI. The GI of sugar ranges from as low as 23 for fructose to up to 105 for maltose. Therefore, the GI of a food partly depends on the type of sugar it contains.
- The structure of the starch. Starch is a carb comprising two molecules amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is difficult to digest, whereas amylopectin is easily digested. Foods with a higher amylose content will have a lower GI (
SUMMARY
The GI of a food or meal is influenced by a number of factors, including the type of sugar it contains, the structure of the starch, the cooking method, and the level of ripeness.
What Does A 1200 Calorie High Protein Low Carb Diet Consist Of
Before jumping headfirst into this way of eating, you must familiarize yourself with the kind of foods and drinks you can consume and those you must avoid. This will ensure that you do not deviate from the meal plan and can reap all the fantastic benefits of the diet.
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