Not that we don’t love chicken and rice, we do, but when it comes to spicing up your high protein meals, it can be tricky to move away from that holy grail dish. Fear not – we’ve got you covered, there's a wide array of choices out there that won’t make you crave a takeaway on a Wednesday evening.

We already know protein aids in building and maintaining muscle mass, but sometimes it’s hard to hit the mark when it comes to getting enough of this macronutrient in your diet. This is where plotting and prepping your weekly meals comes in handy, keeping you organised and on track to reach your fitness goals.

But how much should you be consuming? While this varies for everyone, a high protein diet for adults would consist of 0.8kg-1.5kg protein per kg of body weight. With you then likely to need a fair whack of the nutrient, you might find it easier to have a portion of protein with every meal, rather than loading it all up in one sitting.

High Protein Meal Prep: How to Meal Plan

Meal prepping allows you to do all the slicing, dicing, sauteing, and searing in one go, saving you hours during the already-exhausting work week. After all, having your meals prepared means you’ll have more time in the gym, right?

For a steer on keeping your meal planning on point, keep these steps front of mind:

1. Think about the week ahead – maybe you’ve got a busy week planned and only need three meals instead of four. It’s best to be prepared instead of wasting food, and time, cooking!

2. Prep on Sunday – we know the idea of cooking multiple meals on your day off isn't appealing, but it can be as basic as chopping vegetables, measuring spices, or washing and portioning fruits for packed lunches. This will also help you to save money if you shop smart!

3. Containers, containers, and more containers – having these to hand will help to keep you organised and meal quantities under control. Make sure to weigh these out too, so each one is the same. Looks can be deceiving!

4. Mix it up – look for foods that work in a few different dishes. Take chicken, for example, it can be an entrée, added to a soup, or served in tacos throughout the week.

Easy High Protein Meal Ideas

All set? The next step is picking your recipes. Grenade ambassador and food nutritionist Chloe Madeley has prepared some tasty examples to inform your own high protein meal plan.

As you’ll be cooking in bulk, just double, triple or even quadruple ingredients for the number of days you’re prepping for.

Breakfast

Peanut Butter Protein Oats

Large handful of oats
Hydra 6 Protein Powder 2 scoops (1 serving)
1 tablespoon of peanut butter

Peanut Butter Protein Breakfast Shake

Hydra 6 Protein Powder 2 scoops (1 serving)
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
Ice
Coconut milk

Lunch

High Protein Chicken Stir Fry

1 Packet of microwave rice (½ for women – 1 packet for men)
Teaspoon soy sauce
1 chicken breast
Handful of stir fry vegetables

Dinner

High Protein Pizza

1 Small tortilla
Passata
2 Chicken Sausages
Cheese
Rocket

Now you’re armed with a set of nutritious high protein meals, you’ll be ready to face the week without breaking a sweat, and without turning your kitchen into a Master Chef bomb site!

Interested in finding out a bit more about protein? If so, check out this blog post here. Fall out!