The Ultimate Visual Guide to Protein: Here's How Much You Should Eat A Day
You aren't the only one scratching your head, wondering whether you're getting enough protein in your daily meals. Countless Reddit threads are filled with people asking the same thing: Does it matter how much protein I eat if I'm not trying to bulk up? The answer is yes. Protein is not only necessary for gym buffs and bodybuilders -- it's essential for everyone. In addition to building muscle, protein helps with weight loss, energy levels, balancing hormones and much more.
Your protein needs will vary based on factors like body weight and activity level. A general guideline from the recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight per day. You can use the US Department of Agriculture's calculator for a more tailored estimate.
If you have fitness goals and need help visualizing how much protein you need, this guide is your blueprint for 100 grams of protein across different diets. The protein amounts below are estimates based on specific products and their nutrition labels, so your figures may vary depending on the brand or preparation method. Each picture contains 100 grams of protein combined, not 100 grams per item. If you want to get better at hitting your daily protein goals, this visual guide can help.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for omnivores
Amanda Capritto/CNET
Eating 100 grams of protein per day should be pretty easy if you don't have any dietary restrictions. Here's what that would look like:
Two eggs (12 grams)
Snack cheese (5 grams)
Greek yogurt (15 grams)
Beef sausage (14 grams)
One can of tuna (27 grams)
½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
2 ounces of deli ham (10 grams)
1 ounce of mixed nuts (5 grams)
Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
Everything pictured above comes to 103 grams, which puts you slightly over your daily target.
What 100 grams of animal protein looks like for carnivores
Amanda Capritto/CNET
As you can see, getting 100 grams of protein from animal products doesn't take much:
Four eggs (24 grams)
One can of tuna (27 grams)
Three beef meatballs (15 grams)
2 ounces of turkey bacon (10 grams)
3 ounces of turkey breast (24 grams)
This amounts to a perfect 100 grams of protein. If you ate all of this in a day, plus bread and other nonanimal products, you would surpass 100 grams of protein in a day.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for vegetarians
Amanda Capritto/CNET
For vegetarians, 100 grams of protein might look like this:
Four eggs (24 grams)
½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
Two snack cheeses (10 grams)
¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
A single-serve Greek yogurt (15 grams)
One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
This comes out to 99 grams of protein, which is pretty close.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for vegans
Amanda Capritto/CNET
What you see isn't totally what you get with the amount of protein here:
1 ounce of nuts (5 grams)
½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
A protein granola bar (8 grams)
Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
Two tablespoons of chia seeds (10 grams)
Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
This amounts to 79 grams of protein. If we double up on the mixed nuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds, this brings us to 93 grams of protein. You could add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or eat a full cup of oats, instead of half a cup, to come closer to 100 grams.
This plate also excludes high-protein vegan meat substitutes, such as tofu, tempeh or plant-based meats like the Impossible Burger. Those food sources can make it easier to get 100 grams of protein for someone who eats a vegan diet.
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