200g Of Protein A Day Meal Plan

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Whether you are trying to build muscle or are trying to modify your diet to support weight loss, a high-protein diet can provide the muscle-reparative and satiety benefits you’re looking for.

But, how do you eat 200g of protein a day? What is the best 200g of protein a day meal plan for muscle gains? Is 200g of protein too much for one day? Is it bad to eat 200 grams of protein a day?

In this guide, we will discuss whether you should follow a 200g of protein a day meal plan, provide tips for eating 200 grams of protein a day, and give you a sample diet plan to try out.

We will look at: 

  • Is 200g of Protein Too Much?
  • What Is the Best 200g of Protein a Day Meal Plan?
  • Sample 2000 Calorie 200g Protein Meal Plan

Let’s get started!

A drawing of a person flexing their bicep filled in with high-protein foods.

Is 200g of Protein Too Much?

Before we look at how to eat 200g of protein a day or what sorts of meals to include in a 200g of protein a day meal plan, let’s discuss whether you should follow a 200g of protein meal plan in the first place or if 200g of protein a day is too much.

While eating protein has many benefits, and getting enough protein every day is essential for optimal health and muscle gains if you are working out intensely, nutrition experts advise against over-consuming protein above the recommended daily amount.

As with exceeding the recommended amount (daily value, DV) of any nutrient on a regular basis, routinely eating too much protein can cause adverse health effects.

Excessive protein intake, most notably, can cause kidney strain and can be deleterious to bone health.

So, is 200 g of protein a day too much?

Let’s look at how much protein you should be eating and whether following a 200g of protein a day diet plan is right for you.

The recommended daily protein intake is set at 46-63 grams for most adults and up to 65 grams per day for pregnant or breastfeeding women. 

A variety of high protein foods such as fish, chicken, cheese and nuts.

The RDI represents the nutrient requirements for 97-98% of healthy individuals.

The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day, which works out to just over 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight.

However, these protein guidelines are well below the amount of protein that most people eat daily, and significantly lower than the protein recommendations for athletes, particularly those trying to build muscle or do bodybuilding workouts.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes consume 1.2–2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to meet their physiological needs.

However, eating more grams of protein beyond this level is generally not better.

In fact, studies show that chronic high-protein intake that exceeds 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for adults may cause digestive, renal, and vascular dysfunction and should be avoided.

So, if you weigh less than 100 kg (220 pounds), eating 200g of protein a day is inadvisable, and thus, you should not follow a 200g of protein a day meal plan unless specifically guided by a registered dietitian (RD), experienced sports nutritionist, or medical professional.

A person drinking a protein shake.

What Is the Best 200g of Protein a Day Meal Plan?

There is no single “best 200 grams of protein a day meal plan.”

As with anything concerning diet and nutrition, the best high-protein meal plan with 200g of protein a day will be one that appeals to you.

This means that the 200g of protein meal plan needs to be one that has foods that are compatible with not only your sensitivities and dietary restrictions but also your food preferences and the logistics of your life.

You will only benefit from following a 200g of protein per day meal plan if you can stick with it and feel good physically by the high-protein meals and snacks specifically provided on this meal plan.

That said, there are three qualities of high-protein diet plans that can distinguish the best 200 grams of protein a day diet plans from subpar ones:

Chicken breast.

#1: Healthy

It is surprisingly easy to eat 200g of protein a day consuming unhealthy high protein foods like fast food burgers, chicken nuggets, and highly processed off-the-shelf protein shakes with a huge list of unhealthy ingredients.

The best 200g of protein a day diet plans focus on whole, natural foods as much as possible, with the use of high-quality protein powders devoid of artificial ingredients, chemicals, and fillers.

The overall high-protein menu plan should provide the intended 200 g of protein a day and all the other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need for overall health and athletic performance if that is the goal with the 200 g of protein a day meal plan.

#2: Smart

Studies suggest that muscle protein synthesis is maximized at 30 grams in one sitting, and beyond this, protein isn’t readily absorbed for muscle growth.

Therefore, the best 200g meal plans divide the 200 grams of protein per day into about 6 servings to maximize muscle growth rather than fewer meals with more protein.

Egg white scramble.

#3: Scalable/Customizable

You should be able to adjust the 200g of protein a day meal plan to meet your specific caloric needs and food preferences.

This is often best served by a 200g of protein per day menu plan that provides clear serving sizes for high-protein foods but has easy adjustability with carbohydrates and fats to alter your macros or the 200g protein plan calories.

Sample 2000 Calorie 200g Protein Meal Plan

Here is a sample 200g of protein a day meal plan that provides 2000 calories a day::

Breakfast: 230 calories, 31 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, 9 grams of fat

  • Egg white scramble with 1.5 cups of baby spinach (7 calories per cup) and 5 egg whites (100 calories, 22 grams of protein, 3 grams of net carbs), 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (7g protein) spinach, tomatoes, and onions (130 calories, 9 grams protein, 9 grams fat, 2 grams carbs) 
  • 12 ounces of water
  • Black coffee or unsweetened tea
Cottage cheese.

Snack: 350 calories, 20 grams of carbs, 12 grams of fat, 37 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber

  • 1 cup of low-sodium cottage cheese (180 calories, 1 gram fat, 12 g carbs, 28 grams protein) with 1/4 cup blueberries (20 calories, 5 grams of carbs 3 grabs fiber) and 3 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds (150 calories, 3 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 11g fat, 9 grams protein)

Lunch: 370 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 14.5 grams of fat, 53 grams of protein, 6 grams fiber

  • 6 ounces grilled chicken breast (268 calories, 50 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat), 2 cups romaine lettuce, 4 cherry tomatoes, 1 cup sliced cucumber, 1 tablespoon of peanuts (52 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbs), 1 teaspoon olive oil (40 calories, 4.5 grams of fat), 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 12 ounces of water

Snack: 220 calories, 18g of carbs, 34g of protein, 1g of fat, 9 g fiber

  • One can of no salt added tuna (130 calories, 30 grams protein), 10 celery stalks chopped (56 calories, 10g carbs, 3 grams protein, 6 grams fiber), 10 baby carrots (35 calories, 8 grams carbs, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fiber) 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Salmon and broccoli.

Dinner: 540 calories, 28 grams of fat, 51 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbs, 9 grams of fiber

  • 7 ounces of salmon, 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil (350 cal, 19 g of fat, 40 g of protein, 2 g of carbohydrates)
  • Broccoli with hummus and sesame seeds: 2 cups of broccoli chopped, 1/4 cup of hummus, 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds (190 cal, 9 g of fat, 20 g of carbohydrates, 9 g of fiber, 11 g of protein)
  • 12 ounces of water

Snack: 260 calories, 7 grams of fat, 28 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbs, 6 grams of fiber

Total: 1970 calories 39 grams of fiber, 71.5 grams of fat, 96 grams of carbs, 234 grams of protein

For more ideas about what to eat on a 200-gram protein meal plan, check out our guide to high-protein breakfast ideas here.

A yogurt parfait.
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Amber Sayer is a Fitness, Nutrition, and Wellness Writer and Editor, as well as a UESCA-certified running, endurance nutrition, and triathlon coach. She holds two Masters Degrees—one in Exercise Science and one in Prosthetics and Orthotics. As a Certified Personal Trainer and running coach for 12 years, Amber enjoys staying active and helping others do so as well. In her free time, she likes running, cycling, cooking, and tackling any type of puzzle.

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