If you’re on a fitness journey that has you striving to eat more protein, it may seem difficult to meet your needs at first. Luckily, as an RD, I’ve created a helpful framework that makes it easy to get to your 100 grams of protein per day, called the “3-1-1 plan”. Let’s take a look!
Disclaimer: This post was written by Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD, RRCA Certified Running Coach. It is for informational purposes and does not constitute individualized nutrition or medical advice. For any personal nutrition questions, please visit your doctor or dietitian.

Do You Actually Need 100 Grams of Protein?
Before I jump into the plan, keep in mind – you may not actually need 100 grams of protein per day. That number gets thrown out on social media a lot, but in reality, protein needs vary based on weight, muscle mass, medical conditions, training goals, and weight loss goals. You might need more or less than 100 grams depending on these factors. Meeting with a dietitian can be valuable for helping you calculate your actual needs.
For general information, though, these ranges may be helpful:
- Recreational gym-goer (i.e. light strength or cardio) = 1 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (around 0.4 to 0.65 grams per pound)
- Runners and triathletes = 1.2 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (around 0.55 to 0.8 grams per pound)
- Strength training athletes = 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (around 0.55 to 0.9 grams per pound)
- Athlete trying to lose weight – up to 2.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (around 1.05 grams per pound), as studies among athletes suggest a higher protein intake can alleviate some of the loss of muscle mass during periods of reduced caloric intake.
If we think about a 70-kilogram (154 pound) runner, that would be about 84 grams of protein on the low end (1.2 g/kg) up to 126 grams on the high end (1.8 g/kg) – so 100 grams is a nice midpoint range to consider, and an easy round number to aim for as a starting point.
The 3-1-1 Plan to Get 100 Grams of Protein
This is a simple framework that helps ensure you’re meeting your protein needs each day:
- 3 meals with 20-35 grams of protein
- 1 snack with 10-15 grams of protein
- 1 “protein boost” with 10-20 grams of protein. This protein boost can be part of a meal or can be a second snack that day (for example, a post-workout snack). It can be in the form of a protein supplement, like protein powder added to a smoothie or a protein bar. Or, it can be a high-protein whole food option added to a meal or snack (for example, 2 extra ounces of chicken breast at a meal or an extra Greek yogurt as a second snack).
This framework can be flexible to allow you to meet your actual needs, whether that’s a little more or a little less than 100 grams.
Sample 3-1-1 Meal Plans with 100 grams of Protein
If you need some inspiration, below are three days’ worth of meals using this framework. All protein totals are estimates, as specific amounts will vary based on brands.
Day 1
Breakfast:
- Smoked salmon breakfast toast – Made with hearty bread, mashed avocado & white beans, mixed greens, cucumber, smoked salmon, and dill (23 grams protein)
Snack:
- ½ cup lowfat cottage cheese plus a sliced peach and cinnamon (13 grams protein)
Lunch:
- Salad made with 2 cups mixed greens, 3 ounces grilled chicken breast, ⅓ cup cubed avocado, 1 sliced pear, 2 tbsp crumbled feta, ¼ cup slivered almonds, and dressing of your choice (35 grams protein)
Protein Boost (Second Snack):
- Rise chocolate coconut protein bar (15 grams protein)
Dinner:
- Butternut squash and quinoa chili topped with ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (20 grams protein)
Total Protein: 106 grams
Day 2
Breakfast and Protein Boost:
- Egg scramble with 3 large eggs, spinach, bell pepper, zucchini (18 grams protein)
- 1 slice of hearty wheat toast with ½ tbsp butter (3 grams)
- Protein Boost: High protein iced pumpkin spice latte – so good in the fall! (21 grams protein)
Lunch:
- Tuna potato salad – prep ahead for an easy grab-and-go meal (20 grams protein)
- Apple (or any piece of fruit!)
Snack:
- Snack plate with ½ cup raspberries, 1 ounce pistachios, a few pickle spears, ½ cup salted edamame (15 grams)
Dinner:
- BBQ ground beef stuffed sweet potatoes (34 grams protein)
Total Protein: 111 grams
Day 3
Breakfast:
- Greek yogurt parfait made with ¾ cup Siggi’s vanilla Greek yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, 2 tbsp peanut butter, ⅓ cup granola (29 grams protein)
Snack:
- Mini caprese salad: 1 cup cherry tomatoes + 1 string cheese cut into pieces + a few spritzes of balsamic + fresh or dried basil if you have any on hand (7 grams protein)
- Chomps original beef stick (10 grams protein)
Lunch:
- Sandwich made with 2 slices hearty bread, 2 oz turkey, lettuce, tomato, grainy mustard (23 grams protein)
- 1 clementine
- 1 cup broccoli cooked from frozen microwavable steam bag (2 grams protein)
- 3 oreo cookies (1 gram protein)
Dinner:
- Sheet pan chicken drumsticks and veggies – Delicious dinner made on one pan, featuring seasoned chicken drumsticks, onion, potatoes, carrots, and celery (28 grams protein)
Protein Boost Dessert:
- Smoothie made with ¾ cup of milk, 1 frozen banana, 3 tbsp powdered peanut butter, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, and a handful of spinach (15 grams protein)
Total Protein: 115 grams
PS – If you need more breakfast ideas, I have 8 different breakfasts with 30 grams of protein here. And I also have a post specifically with 15 gram protein snack ideas too!
Mix & Match Protein Options
When it comes to building meals, snacks, and protein boosts on your own – here is a simple list that you can mix & match from throughout the day. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but is helpful for some initial ideas:
(Note: All data was pulled from USDA FoodData Central, NCCDB, or brand labels. Specific grams of protein may vary based on the brand).
Dairy/Eggs:
- Low fat cottage cheese – 12 grams per ½ cup
- Plain Greek yogurt – Approximately 10-12 grams per ½ cup (will vary based on brand)
- Milk – 8 grams per 1 cup
- Part-skim ricotta cheese – 7 grams in ¼ cup
- Eggs – 6 grams each
- String cheese – 6 grams per stick
- Cheddar cheese – 4-5 grams per slice (depending on thickness of slice)
Meat/Seafood:
- Chicken breast (cooked, skinless) – 30 grams in 3.5 ounces
- Turkey breast (cooked, skinless) – 29 grams of protein in 3.5 ounces
- 90% lean ground beef (cooked) – 28 grams in 3.5 ounces
- Pork, top loin, lean only (cooked) – 27 grams in 3.5 ounces
- Beef top sirloin steak (cooked, fat trimmed) – 27 grams in 3.5 ounces
- Wild caught salmon (Atlantic, cooked) – 25 grams in 3.5 ounces
- Farmed salmon (cooked) – 21 grams in 3.5 ounces
- Turkey lunch meat – 9-11 grams in 2 ounces (depending on brand)
- Tuna (white, canned in water, drained) – 20 grams in 3 ounces
- Beef jerky – 8-10 grams of protein per serving (varies by brand)
- Beef sticks – 6-10 grams of protein per stick (varies by brand)
Plant-Based Sources:
- Chickpea pasta – 11-12 grams per 2 ounce serving (varies by brand)
- Hemp hearts – 10 grams per 3 tablespoons
- Lentils (cooked) – 9 grams per ½ cup
- Edamame (cooked) – 9 grams per ½ cup
- Pumpkin seeds (roasted) – 9 grams per ¼ cup
- Soy milk – 8 grams per 1 cup
- Peanut butter – 8 grams per 2 tablespoons
- Black beans (canned) – 8 grams per ½ cup
- Almond butter – 7 grams per 2 tablespoons
- Chickpeas (canned) – 6 grams per ½ cup
- Pistachios (in-shell) – 6 grams per 1 ounce (about 49 pistachios)
- Silken tofu – 5.5 grams in 4 oz
- Oats (dry) – 5 grams per ½ cup
- Quinoa (cooked) – 4 grams per ½ cup
- Hearty breads (like Dave’s Killer Bread) – 3 to 4 grams of protein per slice (varies by brand)
Protein Booster Ideas:
- Whey protein powder – Approximately 26 grams per scoop (amount will vary based on brand; I use NOW Whey Protein; they’re a client of mine – you can save 20% with code CHRISSY)
- Fairlife Core Power Chocolate Protein Shake – 26 grams per bottle
- Plant-based protein powder – Approximately 22 grams per scoop (amount will vary based on brand; I use NOW Plant Protein Complex)
- Rise protein bar – 15 to 18 grams per bar
- ALDI protein waffles – 12 grams per 2 waffles (these are the BEST!)
- RX bars – 12 grams per bar
- Kodiak oatmeal packets or cups – 10 to 20 grams depending on product
- Wilde chips (made from chicken!) – 10 grams of protein per serving
The Bottom Line
Getting 100 grams of protein each day (or more) can seem a bit overwhelming, but using the 3-1-1 plan can make it feel a bit more manageable. With a little time and planning, it’s easy to create high protein meals that fit your needs. You’ve got this!
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