High Protein Summer Dinners Meal Plan (June 16)

With summer kicking into gear, I’m thinking about foods that are light, healthy, and filled with protein for the energy we need to capture summer at its best.

These recipes are delicious and perfectly suited to June and getting ourselves ready for the season.

Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. In short, it helps build and repair muscle, organs, and bones. It’s also helpful with reducing fat, feeling full, which helps prevent overeating, and retaining muscle.

How Much Protein Do We Need?

“Protein is an essential part of every cell in your body and plays a starring role in muscle, bone, and skin health. Most people eating a 2,000 calorie diet want to aim for a minimum of 50 grams of protein per day,” says Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., plant-forward chef, and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook.”

To calculate how much protein your body needs, she says you can multiply your body weight (in pounds) by 0.36 grams—the result is the number of grams of protein to target. To be more accurate, however, protein needs vary based on age, gender, activity level, and overall health.

9 Reasons to Eat More Protein

Nine science-based reasons to eat more protein in your diet:

1. Reduces appetite, helping you eat fewer calories
2. Increases muscle mass and strength
3. Good for your bones
4. Reduces cravings for late-night snacks
5. Boosts metabolism and increases fat burning
6. Lowers your blood pressure
7. Helps maintain weight loss
8. Helps your body repair itself after injury
9. Aids staying fit as you age

High Protein Summer Dinners

A delicious week of dinners awaits with these summer high-protein dinners:

• Start Monday with a delicious chopped vegetarian salad packed with summer flavor and high protein.
• On Tuesday, make a super simple one-skillet taco dinner. Use your ground meat of choice and add lots of healthy, summer condiments.
• Wednesday’s dinner is a high-protein chicken bowl with tons of green vegetables that’s simple and quick to make.
• Thursday features a pan-seared halibut dinner that is absolutely summer. If halibut is hard to find, substitute cod or tilapia.
• Friday brings another salad that’s better than takeout. And to treat yourself this week, enjoy a healthy and delicious snack perfect for weekend snacking.

Have a great week!

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