If you're training consistently but not seeing the results you want, your diet is probably the missing piece. Protein is the most important macronutrient for building and repairing muscle — and most people dramatically underestimate how much they actually need.
The general recommendation for people actively trying to build muscle is 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 75kg person, that's 120 to 165 grams of protein daily. That takes some planning — but it doesn't have to be complicated.
The Best High-Protein Foods
Before we get into recipes, here's what you should be stocking regularly:
- Chicken breast (31g protein per 100g) — the classic for a reason
- Greek yoghurt (10g per 100g) — works for breakfast, sauces, and snacks
- Eggs (6g each) — cheap, versatile, and fast
- Canned tuna (25g per 100g) — no cooking required
- Cottage cheese (12g per 100g) — underrated and filling
- Lentils (9g per 100g cooked) — great plant-based option
- Tofu (8g per 100g) — absorbs flavours beautifully when cooked right
10 High Protein Meal Ideas
These meals are designed to be quick, satisfying, and genuinely tasty — not just functional:
- Chicken and rice bowl with teriyaki sauce and edamame
- Greek yoghurt breakfast bowl with berries, granola, and hemp seeds
- Tuna pasta with olive oil, capers, and cherry tomatoes
- Egg and vegetable scramble with cottage cheese stirred in
- Lentil and spinach soup with a slice of sourdough
- Grilled salmon with quinoa and roasted asparagus
- Turkey meatballs with courgette noodles and tomato sauce
- Black bean tacos with avocado and lime crema
- Overnight oats with protein powder, banana, and almond butter
- Steak stir-fry with broccoli, peppers, and brown rice
How to Hit Your Protein Target Every Day
The trick is distribution — spreading protein across every meal rather than trying to cram it all into dinner. Aim for 30 to 40 grams per meal and 15 to 20 grams in snacks. That rhythm becomes automatic after a few weeks.
Use Culinse to filter recipes by high protein content and build a weekly rotation that keeps you on track. Once you have five or six go-to meals, hitting your target becomes easy — it's just a matter of cooking them in rotation.