7 Simple Meals with 50G Protein (That Don’t Taste Like Cardboard)

Okay, so everyone keeps asking me how I hit my protein goals without eating the same boring chicken breast seven days a week. Honestly? I was struggling too until I finally sat down and figured out some actual meals with 50g protein that don’t make me want to cry into my Tupperware.

Here’s the thing—I’m not a meal prep influencer with matching containers and a Ring light. I’m just someone who got tired of feeling hungry all the time and decided to actually do the math on what I was eating. Turns out, getting 50 grams of protein in one meal isn’t as impossible as I thought. It just requires a little strategy and maybe some Greek yogurt.

These simple meals with 50g protein have literally saved my sanity (and my grocery budget, kinda). Some are for weight loss, some are just because they taste amazing, and all of them are things I actually make on a regular Tuesday when I’m too tired to think.

1. The “I Can’t Believe This Works” Protein Pancake Bowl

So this happened by accident when I was trying to make regular protein pancakes and completely botched the flip. Like, batter everywhere, smoke alarm going off, the whole disaster. But then I just… stopped trying to flip them and made it into a bowl situation instead.

Why it’s amazing: You get your breakfast AND your protein goal in one bowl, and it genuinely tastes like dessert. My kids think it’s a treat. I’m over here quietly hitting my macros like a sneaky genius.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup egg whites (the carton kind—I’m not separating eggs at 6 AM)
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (about 25g protein)
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (I use the Good Culture one because the texture is less… weird)
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 banana, mashed (overripe is fine, actually better)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Cinnamon (however much your soul desires)
• Toppings: 2 tbsp peanut butter, berries, maybe some honey if you’re feeling fancy

Instructions:

1. Throw everything except the toppings into a blender. Blend until it looks like pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add a splash of almond milk. If it’s too thin, add more oats. This is not an exact science.
2. Heat up a pan with some cooking spray. Pour the whole mixture in there like you’re making one giant pancake. Or make smaller ones if you have patience (I don’t).
3. Let it cook on medium-low for like 5-7 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready to flip when the edges look set and the middle isn’t totally liquid anymore.
4. Flip it. Or don’t. Sometimes I just cover the pan with a lid and let the top cook through because flipping is overrated.
5. Once it’s cooked through, throw it in a bowl. Top with peanut butter (weigh it—2 tablespoons is like 8g protein), berries, whatever.

Total protein: About 52g (varies depending on your protein powder brand)

Chaos notes: Don’t skip the cottage cheese. I know it sounds weird but it makes everything fluffy and adds protein. You literally cannot taste it. Also, if you burn it a little, just scrape off the burnt parts and call it “extra crispy edges.” Nobody needs to know.

2. Tuna Melt Situation That’s Actually Good

Listen, I know tuna has a reputation. But this is NOT your sad office lunch tuna. This is the tuna melt I make when I want something hot, filling, and ridiculously high in protein without turning on my brain.

Why it’s amazing: Takes 10 minutes max, uses stuff you probably already have, and gives you that warm, melty comfort food feeling without the carb coma.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of tuna (5 oz each, packed in water and DRAINED unless you want soup)
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (the full-fat kind tastes better, don’t @ me)
• 2 slices of whole wheat bread (or whatever bread you have)
• 3 slices of cheese (I use cheddar, sharp if I’m feeling it)
• 1/4 red onion, diced small (I cry every single time)
• Celery if you have it (I usually don’t)
• Mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (meal prep these on Sunday or buy the pre-peeled ones—no shame)

Instructions:

1. Mix the drained tuna, Greek yogurt, chopped eggs, onion, and seasonings in a bowl. Taste it. Add more mustard if needed. I usually need more mustard.
2. Pile half the mixture onto each slice of bread. Really pile it on there. This is not the time to be dainty.
3. Top with cheese slices. Put the whole thing under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
4. Watch it carefully because broilers are LIARS and will burn your food when you blink.

Total protein: About 54g

Tips: Sometimes I add Everything Bagel seasoning on top because I’m obsessed with that stuff. Also, if you’re doing the low-calorie thing, skip one slice of bread and make it open-faced. Still good. Or use those low-carb tortillas instead—works surprisingly well.

3. Lazy Protein Bowl (That My Husband Named)

My husband literally named this “the lazy protein bowl” and honestly? Accurate. This is what I make when I cannot be bothered to actually cook but still need to eat like a functional adult.

Why it’s amazing: No cooking required if you prep your protein ahead of time. It’s basically an elevated Chipotle bowl situation that costs way less and has more protein.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz grilled chicken breast (rotisserie chicken works, or those pre-cooked chicken strips from Costco)
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup corn (frozen is fine, microwave it)
• 1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa (I make a big batch on Sunday)
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream because protein)
• Salsa (whatever kind you like)
• 1 oz shredded cheese
• Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado if you have them
• Hot sauce (essential)

Instructions:

1. Put the rice/quinoa in a bowl as your base.
2. Heat up your chicken if it’s cold. Or don’t. Room temp chicken is fine, we’re all adults here.
3. Arrange everything in sections like you’re trying to make it Instagram-worthy. Or just dump it all in. Both ways taste the same.
4. Microwave the black beans and corn together for like 90 seconds.
5. Dollop everything on top. Mix it all up. Drown it in hot sauce.

Total protein: About 51g

Real talk: This is my go-to 50g protein lunch meal prep. I make five of these on Sunday (without the avocado because it gets brown) and I’m set for the week. Sometimes I swap the chicken for ground turkey or even shrimp. The formula is: protein + beans + grain + toppings. Can’t mess it up.

4. Breakfast Sandwich That Could Fuel a Small Army

I invented this when I was pregnant and STARVING all the time. Now I make it when I need serious fuel for a busy day. It’s basically three meals disguised as one sandwich.

Why it’s amazing: Portable, filling, and you can eat it in the car without judgment. Also hits that 50g protein mark while still tasting like actual breakfast food.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole English muffin (or bagel thin if you’re being calorie-conscious)
• 4 egg whites + 1 whole egg (scrambled together)
• 3 slices turkey bacon (cooked crispy)
• 2 slices Canadian bacon or ham (adds more protein without many calories)
• 2 slices cheese
• 2 tbsp cream cheese (the protein kind if you can find it)
• Everything Bagel seasoning because yes

Instructions:

1. Toast the English muffin. While that’s happening, scramble your eggs in a pan with some cooking spray. Season them with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the turkey bacon until it’s actually crispy, not that floppy sad bacon.
3. Spread cream cheese on both halves of the muffin.
4. Stack: bottom muffin, eggs, Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, cheese, top muffin.
5. Wrap in foil and microwave for 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Or use a panini press if you’re fancy.

Total protein: About 48-50g (depending on brands)

Chaos wisdom: Make the egg part in a mason jar lid or round cookie cutter so it fits perfectly on the muffin. Game changer. Also, I make like four of these at once, wrap them in foil, and freeze them. Microwave for 90 seconds and you have a 700 calorie meal high protein situation ready to go.

5. The “Secret Weapon” Salmon Bowl

This one is my secret weapon for when I want healthy meals with 50g protein but also want to feel like I’m eating at a restaurant. It’s bougie but also stupid easy.

Why it’s amazing: Salmon is expensive but it’s also DENSE with protein. One piece plus some smart sides and you’re golden. Also omega-3s or whatever, but mainly it tastes amazing.

Ingredients:

• 6 oz salmon fillet (frozen is fine, I buy the Costco bag)
• 1 cup edamame, shelled (frozen section)
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• Cucumber, sliced thin
• Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds if you’re feeling yourself
• Sriracha mayo (mix sriracha with a little Greek yogurt for protein)

Instructions:

1. Season salmon with salt, pepper, garlic powder. Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until it flakes easily. Or use an air fryer for 10 minutes if you have one.
2. While that’s cooking, make your quinoa and boil the edamame for 5 minutes in salted water.
3. Arrange everything in a bowl: quinoa, edamame, cucumber, sliced eggs.
4. When salmon is done, flake it on top of everything.
5. Drizzle with soy sauce mixed with a tiny bit of sesame oil. Add sriracha mayo. Sprinkle sesame seeds because you’re fancy now.

Total protein: About 52g

Pro tips: I meal prep this as a 50g protein meal low-calorie option. The whole thing is under 600 calories if you measure the oils. Sometimes I swap salmon for tuna steaks (cheaper) or even baked tofu if I’m doing meals with 50g protein vegetarian style (add extra edamame and another egg to hit the protein target).

6. Protein Pasta That Doesn’t Taste Like Punishment

Okay, confession time. I tried like seven different protein pastas before finding ones that don’t taste like eating rubber bands. But once I found the good stuff? Game over. This is my comfort meal that actually has protein.

Why it’s amazing: PASTA. Need I say more? But seriously, this tastes like real food while secretly being a protein bomb.

Ingredients:

• 3 oz protein pasta (I use Banza chickpea pasta or Barilla Protein Plus)
• 5 oz ground turkey (93% lean)
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (trust the process)
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (tastes like parmesan, adds protein)
• Garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes
• Spinach (a huge handful, wilts down to nothing)
• Fresh mozzarella if you want (1 oz)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Save a cup of pasta water before draining because you’ll probably need it.
2. While pasta cooks, brown the ground turkey in a pan with garlic and Italian seasoning. Break it up into small pieces.
3. When turkey is cooked through, add marinara sauce and spinach. Let the spinach wilt down.
4. Drain pasta, add it to the pan with the turkey mixture.
5. Here’s the weird part: add the cottage cheese and nutritional yeast. Stir everything together. Add pasta water if it’s too thick.
6. The cottage cheese gets all melty and creamy and you literally cannot tell it’s cottage cheese.

Total protein: About 50g

Real talk: This is my favorite 50g protein meals under 500 calories option. The whole thing is around 480 calories if you measure everything. I’ve made this for people who “don’t like cottage cheese” and they had no idea it was in there. The trick is blending it smooth first if you’re really anti-cottage cheese texture.

7. High-Protein Stir Fry That Saves My Life Weekly

This is the most versatile recipe on this list. I make it at least once a week with whatever vegetables are about to go bad in my fridge. It’s my “clean out the fridge” meal that happens to have 50g of protein.

Why it’s amazing: Fast, flexible, and you feel virtuous eating all those vegetables while still hitting your protein goals. Plus, leftovers are amazing.

Ingredients:

• 7 oz extra-firm tofu OR chicken breast, cubed (I usually do chicken)
• 2 cups mixed vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, snap peas, whatever)
• 2 whole eggs, scrambled into it
• 1/2 cup edamame
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium if you care about that)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• Garlic and ginger (fresh or the jarred kind, I’m not judging)
• Sriracha
• Crushed peanuts for topping (2 tbsp, adds protein + crunch)

Instructions:

1. If using tofu, press it first. Like really press it. Wrap it in paper towels, put something heavy on top for 15 minutes. If using chicken, skip this step obviously.
2. Heat up your biggest pan or wok with a little oil. Cook the protein first until it’s golden and cooked through. Remove from pan.
3. In the same pan, throw in your vegetables. Cook them until they’re tender-crisp, like 5-6 minutes.
4. Push everything to the side, scramble your eggs in the empty space.
5. Add back the protein, add edamame, add soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss everything together.
6. Top with crushed peanuts and sriracha.

Total protein: About 50g

Kitchen disasters avoided: Don’t crowd the pan or everything steams instead of getting that nice sear. If your pan isn’t big enough, cook in batches. I learned this the hard way after making mushy stir fry like five times in a row. Also, mise en place is actually important here—have everything chopped before you start cooking because stir fry moves FAST.

Wrapping This Up Before I Make Myself Hungry

Look, are these recipes going to win any culinary awards? Probably not. Will they help you hit 50 grams of protein without eating plain chicken breast and crying? Absolutely.

The thing nobody tells you about high-protein eating is that it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive or sad. It just requires a little planning and knowing which ingredients pack the most protein punch. Eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese (I know, I know), lean meats, beans—these are your best friends.

I’m not saying I make these perfectly every time. Last Tuesday I definitely burned the salmon and had to order pizza instead. But most of the time? These simple meals with 50g protein actually work. They taste good, they keep me full, and I don’t feel like I’m on some restrictive diet.

People keep asking me how I lost weight without being miserable, and honestly? It’s these meals. Protein keeps you full. Full means you’re not raiding the pantry at 10 PM for stale crackers and questionable cheese.

Whether you’re doing meals with 50g protein for weight loss, trying to build muscle, or just trying to stop feeling hungry all the time—these recipes are solid starting points. Mix them up, make them your own, add hot sauce to everything (my personal philosophy).

Let me know which one you try first! Seriously, I’m genuinely curious which one speaks to your soul. The tuna melt has a cult following in my friend group, but the protein pasta might be my personal favorite.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go make that salmon bowl for dinner because writing this made me absolutely starving.

Happy cooking!

(And may your protein pancakes flip better than mine did that first time.)