How frustrating is it to search for high protein meal ideas only to find 1,000 calorie meals? Of course a meal with that many calories has more than 40 grams of protein.
That’s why I put together this collection of recipes that all have right around 500 calories. If there’s one above 500 calories (like the 525 calorie chicken lasagna), it likely has 50+ grams of protein.
I think you’ll be pleased to see how much pasta and cheesy Tex-Mex you can eat while still getting in more than 40 grams of protein per meal.
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Protein Bowls
51g protein and 500 caloriesMediterranean ground turkey with roasted sweet potatoes, creamy feta sauce, and a low calorie blend of jasmine and cauliflower rice.
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High Protein Breakfast Sausage Bowls
45g protein and 490 caloriesHomemade turkey breakfast sausage crumbles with roasted sweet potatoes, scrambled eggs, low fat cottage cheese, honey, and diced avocado.
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Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
43g protein and 500 caloriesAir fried or baked lightly breaded frozen chicken breast bites are chopped and layered with cottage cheese alfredo, mozzarella, parmesan and fresh parsley to make a high protein lasagna.
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Creamy Gochujang Noodles
40g protein and 500 caloriesInstant noodles with a blended gochujang cottage cheese sauce topped with crispy sesame lean beef crumbles.
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My Best Protein Mac and Cheese
41g protein and 475 caloriesA one-pan baked protein mac made with lean ground chicken breast, a simple cheese sauce, and a crispy breadcrumb topping.
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Chicken and Broccolini Pasta
41g protein and 480 caloriesSweet and spicy chili balsamic ground chicken breast, pan roasted broccolini, and orecchiette in a creamy lemon parmesan sauce.
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Ground Chicken Shawarma Bowls
48g protein and 495 caloriesSpiced ground chicken crumbles with lemony Greek yogurt, rice, and roasted zucchini, peppers, and baby potatoes.
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BBQ Rotisserie Chicken Wraps
49g protein and 485 caloriesPulled rotisserie chicken with BBQ sauce, low calorie Greek yogurt coleslaw, cheddar, and pickles wrapped in a high protein flatbread.
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4-Ingredient Teriyaki Turkey Noodles
40g protein and 465 caloriesInstant noodles with pan roasted broccoli bites and teriyaki ground turkey breast.
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Easy Enfrijoladas
42g protein and 515 caloriesPulled salsa verde chicken and jack cheese rolled in tortillas topped with a blended black bean and salsa macha sauce.
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High Protein Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas
42g protein and 465 caloriesPulled chicken and blended green chile cottage cheese sauce inside cheesy green chile smothered corn tortillas.
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Rotisserie Chicken Lasagna
50g protein and 525 caloriesA high protein lasagna made with blended cottage cheese sauce and pulled rotisserie chicken.
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High Protein Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos
41g protein and 530 caloriesHigh protein breakfast burritos stuffed with Mexican seasoned rotisserie chicken, oven roasted frozen hash browns and fajita veggies, scrambled eggs and egg whites, and colby jack cheese.
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Rotisserie Chicken Parm Sandwiches
48g protein and 525 caloriesRotisserie chicken, marinara, and mozzarella in crispy baked French baguettes.
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Sheet Pan Chicken Snack Wraps
45g protein and 375 caloriesMeal prep snack wraps made easy with sheet pan chicken breast and veggies two ways—Greek and Tex-Mex.Serving note: The 45g of protein is for 3 chicken snack wraps.
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Crockpot Pulled Beef Chili Mac
46g protein and 470 caloriesSlow cooked pulled beef chili with high protein mac and cheese.
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Italian Grinder Chicken Wraps
46g protein and 510 caloriesDeli grinder inspired wraps with chopped chicken, turkey pepperoni, black forest ham, pepperoncini, provolone, shredded lettuce, oil and vinegar, and a creamy garlicky spread.
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Cheesy Beef Goodles
40g protein and 475 caloriesGreen chile ground beef with high protein hatch chile popper mac and cheese.
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High Protein Turkey Enchilada Casserole
47g protein and 535 caloriesExtra lean ground turkey with bell peppers, onions, and corn between layers of corn tortillas and shredded Mexican cheese.Serving note: For the 47g protein serving, use 4 servings instead of the original 6 servings in this recipe. Big servings!
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Lemon Ricotta Ground Turkey Pasta with Broccoli
40g protein and 385 caloriesPan roasted broccoli and lemon pepper ground turkey pasta with a cheesy lemon ricotta sauce.Serving note: These macros are with jumbo pasta shells swapped for a protein pasta. As written, each serving has 36g protein and 390 calories.
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High Protein Buffalo Chicken Wraps
40g protein and 420 caloriesCreamy buffalo ranch chicken and veggies wrapped in low calorie tortillas. Serving note: These macros are for 4 wraps (1 wrap = 1/2 a larger tortilla)!
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Breakfast Meal Prep Bowls
42g protein and 465 caloriesGround chicken crumbles cooked in a sweet and spicy chipotle pineapple sauce paired with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes, peppers, and onions. Works great as make ahead breakfast bowls or as a hearty breakfast taco filling.
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Cheesy Rotisserie Chicken Burritos
40g protein and 460 caloriesHigh protein burritos filled with pulled rotisserie chicken, onions and peppers, corn, black beans, and a green chile cottage cheese sauce.Serving note: This includes serving the burrito with 1 tablespoon of nonfat Greek yogurt.
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Crockpot Beef Enchilada Casserole
51g protein and 480 caloriesShredded lean top round beef in a chile and fire roasted tomato sauce with layers of corn tortilla strips and jack cheese.
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Crunchy Chicken Wraps
40g protein and 400 caloriesCrunchy chopped chicken breast with buffalo ranch coleslaw, leafy greens, and cheese inside flour tortillas.
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Popular Recipes That Just Missed the Cut Off
A few more that I really wish I could have included:
- Crispy Beef and Brothy Coconut Rice – 38g protein and 490 calories
- Chicken and Broccoli Peanut Noodle Bowls – 42g protein and 540 calories
- Viral Beef and Broccoli Bowls – 33g protein and 495 calories
Do you have these recipes in a printable format?
Sure do! Just click “view recipe” on any of the recipes here and you’ll find the printable format on each individual recipe post.