Summer High Protein Dinners: Meal Plan (July 10)
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Boosting energy this week to fully dive into the season with High Protein Summer Dinners with easy prep and mostly ready in 30 minutes. And the treat? Yep, healthy and packed with protein!
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How Much Protein Do We Need?
From your hair to your fingernails to your muscles, protein is the glue that holds each cell in your body together, and it makes up many major hormones and antibodies. That’s why getting enough protein in your daily diet is important.
So, how much protein do we need on a daily basis? “New evidence suggests exactly how much you need depends on a host of factors: your diet, age, health, activity level.” Here’s how to calculate protein intake.
Current guidelines, established by the Institute of Medicine in 2002, recommend adults 19 years of age and older consume 10% to 35% of their daily calories from protein, according to a report in Current Sports Medicine Reports.
For a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 200 to 700 calories from protein. You can calculate how much protein you need daily by multiplying “0.8 g of protein per kilogram of your body weight. With a little math, this translates to 54 g of protein for a 150-pound female or 65 g for a 180-pound male.”
High Protein Dinners
We all know that protein is good for us and that it helps build muscles. But did you know it also helps strengthen bones, supports our immune system and helps repair our body’s tissues? Plus, it also helps slow down digestion to keep us feeling full for longer. This week’s high protein dinners will provide at least 15 grams of protein per serving.
Summer High Protein Dinners Menu
Monday’s dinner is a Mediterranean Diet favorite, especially in the summer. It’s a delicious Greek Chicken with a refreshing cucumber salad to help keep you cool.
Tuesday’s dinner is a vegetarian taco that’s packed with healthy plant protein. Add all your favorite condiments for a summer meal suitable for eating outside!
Wednesday’s dinner is all about summer grilling and healthy salads. It’s light, flavorful, and filled with protein. It’s also a beautiful meal that’s perfect for entertaining.
Thursday’s dinner is a simple baked salmon recipe that’s filled with lemon and fennel flavor. If fennel isn’t your favorite veggie, you could substitute celery, onions, or leeks. If you think of any more ideas, I’d love to hear in the comment section below.
Friday’s dinner sends us to the grill (indoor or out) for a street-food Middle Eastern meal we love. Serve with whole grain pita, 5 Minute Greek Tzatziki Sauce and all the veggies you love. It’s fun and perfect for outdoor dinning.
Treat: A high protein treat? Absolutely! It’s healthy and packed with protein. And chocolatey and decadent… and delicious!
Have a beautiful week!
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High Protein Summer Dinners: Meal Plan (July 10)
- Monday: Grilled Greek Chicken with Yogurt Cucumber Salad
- Tuesday: Black Bean Tacos
- Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Salad
- Thursday: Baked Salmon
- Friday: Beef Kofta
- Treat: Protein Brownies
High Protein Summer Dinners: Meal Plan (July 10)
Summer High Protein Dinners to boost energy on this week. Easy prep and mostly ready in 30 minutes with a healthy, high-protein treat too!
Monday: Greek Chicken with Yogurt Cucumber Salad
This Greek Chicken with Cucumber Salad is an easy, refreshing meal with herbed yogurt-coated chicken seared quickly in a skillet and served with fresh cucumber and tomato salad.
Black Bean Tacos {with Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema}
"Healthy Black Bean Tacos just got a whole lot more exciting! These are loaded with flavor, they’re a breeze to prepare and the filling only needs to cook for 5 minutes! In other words say hello to a new favorite super fast dinner."
Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Salad
This grilled chicken salad is a delicious healthy summer meal, easy enough for weekdays, or special enough for entertaining. Make the dressing and pickled onions ahead for a quick grill and assemble dinner.
Thursday: 25 Minute Oven-Baked Salmon
"Lemon, fennel and dill impart delicious flavor in this easy baked salmon recipe. Baking the lemon slices releases the juices and essential oils from the rind. Serve with fingerling potatoes and asparagus, or enjoy with a simple salad."
Easy Grilled Beef Kofta: Lebanese Street Food
Easy grilled Beef Kofta or Kafta, as it's sometimes called, is a Lebanese-style street food that's super simple to make at home. Tender and delicious Kofta Kebabs are made with Middle Eastern spices and grilled indoors or in less than 10 minutes.
Treat: Protein Brownies - Fudgy Chocolate Healthy Dessert!
"These secretly healthy protein brownies are rich, chewy, fudgy, and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth amazing, with up to fifteen grams of protein each!"
More Weekly Dinner Plans
You can find all of our past weekly dinner meal plans here!