What portion size of protein do you eat in meals?

sunnysmile
sunnysmile Posts: 1,192
in Food and Nutrition
I am curious if people eat a large or smaller amount of protein as a serving with meals? I used to eat a larger amount (4-6 ounces, or more sometimes) and have noticed through my weight loss journey (on Weight Watchers and this site) that I am now taking less and less. I try to weigh a 3 ounce portion now (of beef, chicken, etc., sometimes higher with fish). I figure I can always take seconds or more later if I want. When I wait a few minutes after eating, when I think I'm still ravenous, I find I don't go back for more of that, but sometimes add in some fruit, or salad, or even a small dessert, or nothing at all (which makes me happy too).

What do you all do? Have you found the perfect proportion that makes you feel good after you eat but not weighed down so you don't want to move or sleep? What do you combine with the protein? Fruit, veggies, carbs, dessert?

Am curious if anyone else is starting to decrease protein in main meals and what amount we ideally should be eating? A deck of cards sized portion?
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Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Depends on someones goals, but generally I would think most dieters would be increasing their protein goals. I get around 180 g's day. Some meals will have a large amount while other meals may not very much at all.
  • shar140
    shar140 Posts: 1,158 Member
    Depends on someones goals, but generally I would think most dieters would be increasing their protein goals. I get around 180 g's day. Some meals will have a large amount while other meals may not very much at all.

    Depends on goals. I aim for a minimum 100g/day as that is where I feel satisfied, so roughly 30g/meal but it varies. I generally average in the 130s, but the range varies greatly depending on what I've done (heavy lifting makes me crave more) - 120-160s. And if anything, I've increased my protein both in percent and total grams, but my goals have also changed, too.

    I eat protein+veggies at most meals (don't always get a veggie with my eggs in the morning, but that is ideal for me). It's not the protein that makes me feel bogged down, either. It's the carbs and/or too big of a meal in general.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,021 Member
    If I'm eating steak, no fewer than 8 oz, preferably 10. If I'm eating chicken or turkey or something less fatty, I eat a solid 16 oz. But it should be noted that I practice intermittent fasting, so my dinners are usually in the 1500-1600 calorie range, and I usually eat 170+ g of protein per day.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I am curious if people eat a large or smaller amount of protein as a serving with meals? I used to eat a larger amount (4-6 ounces, or more sometimes) and have noticed through my weight loss journey (on Weight Watchers and this site) that I am now taking less and less. I try to weigh a 3 ounce portion now (of beef, chicken, etc., sometimes higher with fish). I figure I can always take seconds or more later if I want. When I wait a few minutes after eating, when I think I'm still ravenous, I find I don't go back for more of that, but sometimes add in some fruit, or salad, or even a small dessert, or nothing at all (which makes me happy too).

    What do you all do? Have you found the perfect proportion that makes you feel good after you eat but not weighed down so you don't want to move or sleep? What do you combine with the protein? Fruit, veggies, carbs, dessert?

    Am curious if anyone else is starting to decrease protein in main meals and what amount we ideally should be eating? A deck of cards sized portion?

    If I find myself decreasing portions of anything, it's carbs like bread, pasta, and rice. Meat portions stay the same or increase. Protein requirements go up significantly when you're eating a calorie deficit.
  • WhiteGirlWasted13
    WhiteGirlWasted13 Posts: 178 Member
    I shoot for four ounces, three times daily. That's the amount my doctor told me to eat, so that's what I'm doing.
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member

    If I find myself decreasing portions of anything, it's carbs like bread, pasta, and rice. Meat portions stay the same or increase. Protein requirements go up significantly when you're eating a calorie deficit.

    The same for me. I shoot for an average of about 150 grams of protein per day (some days I have more, some days I have less). WIthout a shake I'll eat less bread/pasta/rice and eat more meat.
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
    I typically eat about 8 oz of protein at dinner. Lunch is usually less during the week maybe 3 or 4 oz. And breakfast is usually eggs and on the weekends bacon. I also eat lots of cheese and some nuts.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    The size of the portion per meal does not matter. I am not sure if you are referring to the old idea that the body cannot absorb more than 30 g of protein per meal, but if you are, that has been discredited. When you are dieting, it is more important to get sufficient protein (higher than for a non-dieter). So set your protein intake goal for the day and try to hit or exceed it--you will feel fuller and more satisfied, and your body will be able to hold on to its lean body mass better.

    I eat about 120 g of protein a day, sometimes as high as 150 and sometimes as low as 100. But I am eating at maintenance right now.
  • brender88
    brender88 Posts: 5 Member
    MIne is between 3 and 6 oz depending on which meal and if I had one earlier in the day. :)
  • drefaw
    drefaw Posts: 739
    you would have to look at my diary to see, I think it is around 6-8 oz's on avg, sometimes more, sometimes less ..... But I intake about 200-280 grams of protein a day .....
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    bout 16 oz. (srs)
  • Shadowcub
    Shadowcub Posts: 154 Member
    All very interesting. I've noticed that with my "normal" eating these past 2 weeks I'm tending towards something like 100-120 grams of protein per day. That works out to about .0.5-0.6g/kg for me, so I'm not eating enough.I'm thinking I mayu need to supplement with a whey protein shake or something like that. Any suggestions?
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Whatever I need to hit my protein requirements for the day. Sometimes it's 4oz raw, sometimes 8 or more.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    All very interesting. I've noticed that with my "normal" eating these past 2 weeks I'm tending towards something like 100-120 grams of protein per day. That works out to about .0.5-0.6g/kg for me, so I'm not eating enough.I'm thinking I mayu need to supplement with a whey protein shake or something like that. Any suggestions?

    This is offtopic, but I like Syntrax Matrix. It's inexpensive, and though it's got a whey base, it has other proteins blended in. It mixes thicker, so it tastes better with just water than whey proteins do. It also persists in the digestive system longer than whey.

    For whey, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard is great stuff.
  • traumaticthrash
    traumaticthrash Posts: 103
    it varies from 20-60g a meal.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    All very interesting. I've noticed that with my "normal" eating these past 2 weeks I'm tending towards something like 100-120 grams of protein per day. That works out to about .0.5-0.6g/kg for me, so I'm not eating enough.I'm thinking I mayu need to supplement with a whey protein shake or something like that. Any suggestions?

    You can pick up a protein powder and mix it in the beverage of your choice. If you live near a Trader Joe's, their whey powder is decent-tasting (although fairly carby). If you don't mind artificial sweeteners and want to get only the protein, check out GNC-type stores for Gold Standard or similar.
  • sunnysmile
    sunnysmile Posts: 1,192
    Interesting, thanks for your thoughts. I see there is a wide range of what people do, from a pound a meal of protein (16 ounces) down to 4 ounces. I don't know what is recommended anymore by the food pyramid but today when I go to Weight Watchers for my weigh in and meeting I might see what they recommend per meal and per day. Guess I should know it. I don't mean to say I am not eating protein, I eat some at every meal, probably 3 ounces, or a few egg whites or eggs or cheese or beans or nuts, but I definitely am eating less than I used to. Maybe as my stomach has been shrinking with weight loss over time I can't eat as much as I used to and still lose weight.

    The people that are eating 16 ounces at one sitting, do you feel ill afterwards? We buy a pound of ground meat and make 5 burgers from it these days, I eat one, husband eats two, but then we supplement with other things, veggies, carbs, maybe dessert, lots of fruit. I am allowed to eat 30 points a day (Weight Watchers land), if we used 96% lean beef and ate a pound that would be 16-17 points, so more than half of a days allotment of food. But protein does keep you less hungry.

    Thanks for taking the time to answer me! It's appreciated. And I have not stopped to equate my protein amount to grams, so that is an interesting thing to quantify too.
  • caitlinen
    caitlinen Posts: 36 Member
    I try to aim for 45-50% protein in my days calories. I get about 160g protein a day which is a little over 3 times my body weight (in kg).
  • RobynLB83
    RobynLB83 Posts: 626 Member
    I'm the opposite. I used to eat very little protein. Maybe one 2 oz. serving per day (a half serving). Now I eat 1-2 servings per meal. I eat a lot more fat now too. I was really heavy on carbs (runner and former vegetarian), but it made my blood sugar a roller coaster. Feel much better and more satiated with more fat and protein in my diet.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    If I'm eating out and can't weigh or measure my food properly I go according to the size of my palm. Typically that's about 4 to 6 oz per meal. If I haven't had any protein and its dinner time then I'll have an 8oz steak. But like you, I eat a lot of veggies along with every meal and that balances out "my" meal plan. By the end of the day I've hit all of "my" goals.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Anywhere from 3 oz. if it's sausage up to 9 to 12 oz. if it's something like steak. I'm a meat lover. A "deck of cards" size portion seems ridiculously small.
  • WVmom24
    WVmom24 Posts: 266 Member
    I won't lie....if we're talking salmon...I can eat a 16oz salmon steak by myself. No shame. :P

    Otherwise, I keep it between 4oz-8oz depending on the meal.
  • Sailfindragon
    Sailfindragon Posts: 28 Member
    I eat about 140-180g of protein for lunch & dinner. With the exception of breakfast & snack. I drink protein shakes for those.
  • johnelwell
    johnelwell Posts: 38 Member
    i look at mine on a daily basis more than by each meal, I am very interested in this topic and have done some research into it. I find that I disagree with the protein level that MFP recommends for me and at this moment I am using myself to test my maths. Suffice to say with the slight tweak I have done to my own diet I do not suffer hunger pangs and have lost 12 lbs in the last 5 weeks.
    Hope this helps
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    8-12 oz of meat protein per sitting. I have a daily macro goal of 200-225g.
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    I eat around 100-140g of protein daily, evenly distributed during the day... I have meat almost always for lunch and dinner and in the morning I eat greek yoghurt. My snacks don't tend to have protein.
    I won't have a meat portion bigger than 5-6 oz (150 g), but I eat with my meat other foods with proteins, like cheese, mushrooms, beans, etc.

    I don't know if protein helps me lose weight, but it sure keeps me full longer.
  • runningjen74
    runningjen74 Posts: 312 Member
    I'm the opposite. I used to eat very little protein. Maybe one 2 oz. serving per day (a half serving). Now I eat 1-2 servings per meal. I eat a lot more fat now too. I was really heavy on carbs (runner and former vegetarian), but it made my blood sugar a roller coaster. Feel much better and more satiated with more fat and protein in my diet.

    I'm very similar to this. I was advised by my trainer that I might be insulin resistant based on caliper readings (I've PCOS + hypo thyroid so not a mad suggestion). Based on this he suggested giving up wheat. I'd always noticed myself if I'd bread or pasta that I was very sleepy afterwards. So I've no (or at least very rarely) wheat products and keeps carbs pretty low. Like poster above this keeps me feeling far more steady.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Usually 3-4oz. More if it's fish like cod or catfish. My meals are usually around 400 calories.
  • sunnysmile
    sunnysmile Posts: 1,192
    i look at mine on a daily basis more than by each meal, I am very interested in this topic and have done some research into it. I find that I disagree with the protein level that MFP recommends for me and at this moment I am using myself to test my maths. Suffice to say with the slight tweak I have done to my own diet I do not suffer hunger pangs and have lost 12 lbs in the last 5 weeks.
    Hope this helps

    How did you tweak MFP, am curious, so how much protein per day is your goal?
  • sunnysmile
    sunnysmile Posts: 1,192
    I keep thinking about portion in ounces and since so many think of it in grams, I looked it up. 1 ounce is about 28 grams, so now I understand much better what everyone said. I am grateful for the opinions here.

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