Include protein at each meal
Spread your protein across breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of saving it all for one meal.
- How often
- Daily
- Time
- Part of meals
- Recommended for
- 18 factors
How to do it
- Work out your baseline: about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound. Multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36.
- Put a protein source on the plate at every meal, such as eggs, Greek yogurt, fish, chicken, beans, lentils, tofu or nuts.
- Make breakfast count. It is the meal most often light on protein.
- Favor fish, poultry, beans, nuts and dairy over processed meats.
Why it helps
Protein helps you build and keep muscle. Some studies suggest it works better when it is spread over the day's meals and snacks rather than loaded into dinner. Some people may benefit from more than the baseline amount to help hold on to muscle mass and strength.
Be careful
If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor before increasing your protein intake.
Recommended for
Airline pilot
Long seated duty days across time zones and through the night.
habitCaregiving for an adult
Helping a parent, partner or relative with daily life, often nonstop.
habitCollege student
Late nights, long study sessions, dining-hall meals and a new social world.
hobbyCrossFit and HIIT
Fast, hard intervals with jumps, lifts and very little rest.
habitEating out often
Restaurants, takeout and delivery for most meals of the week.
habitHigh caffeine intake
Coffee, energy drinks or pre-workout, from first thing until late in the day.
habitIntermittent fasting
Eating only in a set window, or skipping food on certain days.
occupationLine cook
Heat, knives, hot oil and a ticket rail that never empties.
habitLiving alone
Your own space and schedule, and nobody else around by default.
habitNight shift work
Awake when your body expects to sleep, asleep when the world is loud.
occupationNurse
Twelve-hour shifts on your feet, lifting, turning and rarely sitting down.
habitOngoing sleep loss
Night feeds, early alarms or a busy mind, and never quite enough sleep.
habitParenting young children
Lifting, carrying, bending and rocking all day, on broken sleep.
occupationPhysician
Long, high-stakes days with little time to eat, move or sleep.
habitPlant-based diet
Vegan or vegetarian eating, built on beans, grains, nuts and produce.
occupationRideshare and delivery driver
In and out of the car all day, on a clock, chasing the next order.
occupationStay-at-home parent
Lifting, carrying and caring around the clock, with little time for yourself.
hobbyWeightlifting
Heavy loads through your back, shoulders and wrists, set after set.