50g protein meals: Who may need them and top recipes to try

Protein is one of the essential building blocks in your body, responsible for a range of crucial functions. Due to their huge role in metabolism, muscle structure, and other processes, it’s pivotal to consume enough protein every day, especially when exercising and trying to lose weight.

50g protein meals are meant to help you get your daily amount of protein quickly and easily. Most people will need only one such high-protein meal a day, though people with a higher body mass index and increased activity levels might need to get more protein. Some nice recipes with 50 grams of protein include:

• Egg white scramble with turkey sausage
• Protein yogurt bowl
• Protein-rich burrito
• Bell peppers stuffed with quinoa and turkey
• Beef and lentil chilli
• Cheesy chicken pasta
• Grilled salmon with rice and edamame

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If you are trying to lose weight and build your dream body, you probably know that the best results are achieved with a combination of proper nutrition and regular strength training. What’s more, we bet that you’ve heard about the utmost importance of protein in the body-building process.

In this article, we are going to guide you through everything related to protein. We’ll define what it is, explore its core features, detect the necessary amount of protein you need a day, and share some of the best recipes of 50g protein meals to help you ensure sufficient intake. Let’s dive in!

What Is Protein?

Protein is a complex biomolecule that consists of long chains of amino acids. Proteins are made of 20 to 21 different amino acids and come in the following types:

• Defence proteins (e.g., antibodies)
• Enzymes
• Messenger proteins
• Motor proteins
• Structural proteins
• Transport/channel proteins

Why Do You Need to Get Enough Protein Every Day?

Proteins are among the key macronutrients essential for the proper functioning of your body and its systems. Each category of proteins performs a crucial role. In particular, these molecules are responsible for:

• Binding to foreign particles (e.g., bacteria and viruses) to protect your body.
• Performing chemical reactions in cells.
• Reading the genetic information from DNA and forming new molecules.
• Transmitting signals between cells, tissues, and organs.
• Providing structural support for cells.
• Carrying small molecules and atoms throughout the body.

To put it simply, proteins are the most essential building blocks in your body that are responsible for supporting your immunity, hormones, muscles, bones, and other systems and tissues in your body. In terms of weight management, they are also crucial for regulating your appetite, metabolic function, and fat storage. That’s why pretty much any person engaged in weight loss and muscle-building needs to receive a sufficient amount of protein.

Apart from its pivotal functions in your body, there is also another reason to consume more protein with food – your body cannot store it. It’s proven that the human body has a very limited capacity for excess protein. That is, once you consume it and a certain amount gets used up, most of the excess is excreted as urea. Respectively, if you don’t get enough protein every day, your body simply doesn’t have a storage to take it from when it’s necessary.

How Much Protein Do You Need a Day?

Given the crucial role of proteins in your body and their inability to be stored, you clearly want to ensure that you’re getting enough of them. But how much is enough?

The amount of protein each person needs is individual and depends on their weight, age, and activity level. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams per kilogram or 0.36 g/pound of your body weight. For example, a 150-pound person will need to eat 54 grams of protein every day.

While this doesn’t sound like too much, there are two important things to consider:

• The total volume of protein-source food you eat doesn’t equal the amount of protein you get. For example, eating 1 egg will only give you 6 grams, and 3 ounces of cooked chicken provides 19 g of protein. With that being said, following a restrictive, low-calorie diet, you might find it rather hard to get the right amount of protein each day.
• Physical activity and workouts increase your daily protein needs. If you’re walking, running, or doing strength training, your required amount of daily protein can increase to 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg.

These two factors are often overlooked. Yet, they explain why receiving sufficient protein every day can turn into a real challenge for some. And that’s when knowing how to make nutritious 50g protein meals can come in handy.

Who Needs Meals With 50 Grams of Protein?

Most normal-weight adults need to receive around 50 grams of protein every day. That is, pretty much everyone can benefit from eating 50g protein meals. It can be particularly beneficial for people looking to lose weight and for people over 40 who want to lose weight and preserve muscle.

The difference is that 50 grams of protein might be the total daily intake for some people, meaning they can only have one such meal a day. However, others, such as people with a greater body mass index and with regular strength training, might need to have two or more high-protein meals a day.

50g Protein Meals: Best Recipes to Try

Now that you know that it can be rather beneficial for many, the big question is how to get 50g of protein in a single meal. Despite a common misconception, it might not be as easy and straightforward as you believe because you receive only a small amount of protein from different food sources.

To help you get on the right track, we’ve gathered some healthy and delicious recipes with 50 grams of protein.

50g protein breakfast ideas:

• Egg white scramble with turkey sausage: Mix 1 cup of egg whites and 3 whole eggs to make a scramble. Cook one turkey (or chicken sausage). Sprinkle 50 grams of Parmesan.
• Protein yogurt bowl: Add ½ scoop of whey protein to 1.5 cups of low-fat Greek yogurt. Add a mix of nuts and berries (about 50 grams).
• Protein-rich burrito: Cook a scramble with 1 cup of egg whites and 3 whole eggs. Wrap your scramble, ground turkey, and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese in a tortilla and heat in the oven for 15 minutes.

50g protein lunch ideas:

• Bell peppers stuffed with quinoa and turkey: Preheat a skillet with 1 tsp olive oil. Sauté 1 tbsp chopped onion and 1 garlic clove for a few minutes. Add 150 grams of lean ground turkey and brown. Add 100 grams of cooked quinoa and 50 grams of black beans, and spice with your favourite seasonings. Stuff halved bell peppers, sprinkle with 30 grams of shredded cheese, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Beef and lentil chilli: Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a pot and sauté ½ chopped onion and 1 garlic clove. Add 120 grams of lean ground beef and cook until it turns brown. Stir in 150 grams of cooked lentils, 75 grams of canned kidney beans, 200 grams of canned tomatoes, and your favourite seasoning. Cook for 15-20 minutes over low heat.

50g protein dinner ideas:

• Cheesy chicken pasta: Mix ½ of chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic (minced) and sauté for a few minutes. Add 150 grams of chicken breast and cook thoroughly. Add 1 cup of chopped veggies of your choice (tomatoes, zucchini, etc.), 50 dry whole grain pasta, and 2 tbsp of tomato purée. Let everything simmer and sprinkle with 30 grams of grated mozzarella cheese.
• Grilled salmon with rice and edamame: Grill 170 grams of salmon fillet on a skillet until cooked (4-5 minutes on each side). In the meantime, cook brown rice and steam 100 grams of edamame. Serve together, sprinkled with chopped scallions and low-sodium soy sauce.

These are just a few examples of healthy and balanced 50g protein meals. Feel free to experiment with different products and combinations to find your perfect meal ideas.

FAQ

What is the recommended daily protein intake?

The overall recommendation is to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram or 0.36 g/pound of body weight. However, the required daily amount of protein can increase to as much as 1.6 to 2.0 g/kg for active people. It’s important to remember that the amount of protein each person needs is individual. It’s best to use a specialized calculator to find yours.

Who needs to eat 50g protein meals?

Given the general recommendations for protein intake, nearly every average adult might benefit from eating meals with 50 grams of protein because most adults will need at least 50 grams of protein a day. However, you might only need to have one such meal per day if your weight isn’t too big or if you are not leading a very active lifestyle. On the contrary, people with greater body mass index and activity levels (involving regular strength training, in particular) will need to have more than one 50g protein meal a day.

What are some 50 grams of protein examples?

Getting 50 grams of protein from a single product isn’t as easy as it seems. For example, you need to eat 8 large eggs, 2 large cans of tuna, or 20-24 oz of Greek yogurt to receive your daily protein norm. That’s when thoughtful 50g protein meal prep can come in handy. By combining the right products, you can receive delicious and healthy meals packed with protein. Feel free to try some of the 50g protein recipes from this guide.

Is it possible to eat too much protein?

Yes, it is possible. Eating more protein than your body actually needs can lead to a range of negative consequences, including kidney damage, dehydration, digestive problems, and others. It can also lead to weight gain because many protein-rich foods also contain a lot of calories and fat. So it’s important to know your protein needs and stick to them.

Conclusion

50 grams of protein is about the right daily norm an average adult needs to get to support their health, grow muscle, and lose weight. Yet, even though it doesn’t sound like too much, getting 50 grams of protein might not be easy.

After reading this article, you should have a full understanding of why proteins matter so much and why you have to get enough of them every day. Be sure to try some of the 50g protein recipes we’ve shared with you to consume enough protein and support your body.

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