The Best Protein-Eating Strategy for Weight Loss

Instead of loading up in one go, learn why it's important to dole out your daily dose of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Still protein loading post-workout? Your body will see more benefit if you spread those grams out over the course of the day rather than loading up at one or two meals. People who balance their protein throughout the day, eating some at each meal, saw more weight loss or maintenance than those who skimped on the nutrient at certain meals, reports a new study analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers from the University of Missouri reviewed 24 studies on protein consumption and found that people who incorporated it at each meal, balanced throughout the day, saw the most weight loss benefits, including the loss of fat and the preservation of lean mass.

Now, most people have no problem downing protein later in the day, since our dinners are normally centered around meat or dairy. But you should also start the day off strong. "Eating a protein-rich breakfast containing about 30 grams of protein leads to even greater satiety throughout the day and can reduce unhealthy snacking by improving appetite control,” study author Heather Leidy, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition, said in a press release. (Convinced, but still need suggestions? Ask the Diet Doctor: Healthy High-Protein Breakfasts.)

Spreading your protein out can also lead to big gains on your guns. People who ate 30 grams of protein at breakfast lunch and dinner saw more muscle protein synthesis—or the building up of muscles—than those who ate less at breakfast and loaded up on the nutrient at dinner, according to a study last year in The Journal of Nutrition.

Leidy recommends the same—her study found that the most benefit came when people ate 25 to 30 grams with each major meal of the day. That's about one 4-ounce chicken breast, one personal-sized Greek yogurt with hemp seeds added, or one cup of quinoa. (If that sounds like a lot for one day, read Ask the Diet Doctor: Is Eating Too Much Protein a Waste?) In addition to the weight loss, Leidy’s team found this amount also helped keep triglycerides and blood pressure low, which helps boost your overall physiological health.

Phew, we’re glad those three chicken breasts we had grilling don’t have to be eaten in one sitting anymore!