A high protein, low carb diet has become a popular strategy for encouraging weight loss while maintaining or increasing muscle mass. This article explores the principles of this diet, its potential benefits and drawbacks, and provides a sample meal plan to help you determine if it's the right choice for you.
Understanding the High Protein, Low Carb Diet
The high protein, low carb diet involves swapping a significant portion of your daily carbohydrate intake for protein. While there isn’t a standardized macronutrient ratio, this eating pattern is largely based on the allotments of the two diets that inspired it. Low carb diets restrict carb intake to less than 26% of total daily calories, meaning fewer than 130 grams (g) of carbs on a 2,000-calorie diet. Very low carb diets reduce this number to under 10%. High protein diets often provide more protein than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight (g/kg/bw) or 0.36 g per pound of body weight (g/lb/bw). For instance, some high protein diets boast up to 2 g/kg/bw (0.9/lb/bw), which is the equivalent of 136 g of protein daily for a 150-lb (68-kg) person. However, there isn’t a standardized definition of “high protein.”
High protein, low carb diets may also be higher in fat to compensate for the carb deficit. For instance, a 2,000-calorie version may contain:
- Protein: 34% (170 g)
- Carbs: 26% (130 g)
- Fat: 40% (89 g)
It’s important to note these ranges may differ based on individual factors like level of physical activity and overall health. A healthcare professional or registered dietitian could help you determine your ideal macronutrient targets.
Some popular commercial diets are commonly considered high in protein and low in carbs, but they don’t truly fit into both categories. Notably, many people regard the Zone Diet and Sugar Busters Diet as high protein and low carb. However, these diets are moderate in carbs, as they typically provide about 40% of calories from carbs.
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Low carb, high fat diets like the Atkins and ketogenic diets may be considered high protein diets because they most likely provide more protein than the RDA. For instance, the ketogenic diet provides 30% to 35% of calories from protein, or around 1 g/lb/bw (2.2/kg/bw). A 2014 review estimated the average protein intake in the Atkins diet is around 2.3 g/kg/bw (1.1 g/lb/bw).
One way to eat a high protein, low carb diet is by counting calories and staying within your target macronutrient ratio. This may be difficult, so consider replacing high carb foods with high protein sources to adjust your ratio.
Potential Benefits of a High Protein, Low Carb Diet
High protein, low carb diets may provide numerous physical and cognitive health benefits.
Weight Loss
Research suggests that higher protein consumption may play several key roles in promoting weight loss, such as:
- Increasing feelings of fullness
- Reducing hunger and cravings
- Lowering levels of hunger hormones, such as ghrelin
- Increasing levels of fullness hormones, such as glucagon, cholecystokinin, and peptide YY
- Boosting basal metabolic rate
- Increasing the thermic effect of food (calories burned during digestion)
Body Composition
Eating a high protein, low carb diet may also help improve body composition. When you lose weight, you can expect to experience decreases in lean muscle mass. However, research shows that increasing protein intake while cutting 500 to 750 calories daily can maintain muscle mass while promoting fat loss. High protein diets may help increase muscle mass when combined with resistance training. However, this effect is lost during more severe calorie restrictions, such as during unplanned, very low calorie diets.
Read also: Your 30-Day Weight Loss Journey Starts Here
Other Potential Health Benefits
High protein, low carb diets may also have several other health benefits, including:
- Regulating blood sugar, which is especially important if you have diabetes
- Reducing bone loss and fracture risk in older adults
- Reducing the risk of cognitive decline
A small study also suggests that a high protein, low carb diet may help improve cardiometabolic factors, such as lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. However, research on the benefits of this diet for heart health is mixed. A 2023 review found that high protein, low carb diets had no significant effects on metabolic factors or the risk of stroke and heart attack. If you have high blood pressure or a condition that may increase your risk of developing heart-related complications, consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They could help develop an exercise and dietary plan for you.
Potential Risks and Considerations
Some research associates high protein, low carb diets with an increased risk of heart disease and heart failure. For instance, a 2018 study involving 2,441 men ages 42 to 60 years found that participants with the highest total protein intake had a 33% increased risk of heart failure than those with the lowest intake. Participants who ate the most animal protein also had a 43% greater risk of developing heart failure than those who ate the least animal protein. However, participants with the overall highest protein intake were more likely to have overweight or diabetes, both of which are risk factors for heart failure.
Experts widely consider high protein diets to be safe for people with normal kidney function, though those with kidney disease may need to avoid this eating pattern. Very low carb diets are also tied to negative effects, including a potentially increased risk of death from all causes. It’s important to note, however, that this mostly depends on the quality of the carbs being eaten. More high quality, long-term research on the downsides of both low carb and high protein diets is needed.
Is All That Protein Necessary?
Your daily protein needs will depend on many factors, such as your sex assigned at birth, age, activity levels, and body composition goals, among others. A high protein diet of up to 2 g/kg/bw (0.9/lb/bw) may be beneficial if you’re very physically active or looking to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass. However, most people who have a moderately active lifestyle don’t need to consume this much protein. For most physically active people, a daily protein intake of 1.2 to 2 g/kg/bw (0.54 to 0.9 g/lb/bw) is likely optimal. Moreover, high protein, low carb diets aren’t necessary to promote overall health.
Read also: High-fiber diet plan for weight loss: 1200 calories.
There are several things that are more important to your well-being than your macronutrient ratios, such as:
- Eating a balanced, nutrient-rich diet
- Staying within your calorie needs
- Exercising regularly
- Reducing your intake of processed foods and added sugar
Foods to Include and Avoid
When following a high protein, low carb diet, it’s important to reduce your intake of carb-rich foods. Consider limiting the following:
- Grains and starches: breads, rice, pasta, baked goods, cereals, etc
- Sweeteners: sugar, agave, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, etc
- Sugary drinks: juice, sweetened coffee and tea, soda, sports drinks, sweetened alcohol beverages, beer, etc
- Processed, high carb foods: french fries, fried chicken, pizza, chips, etc
It’s important to remember that you could include complex carbs like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in moderation. Your total carb intake will depend on your desired macronutrient ranges.
Eating mostly whole, nutrient-rich foods is best on a high protein, low carb diet - as with any balanced diet. You’ll generally want to increase your protein intake. Foods you may choose to eat on this diet include:
- Animal protein: eggs, chicken, bison, turkey, beef, lamb, pork
- Plant-based protein: tofu, edamame, and other soy foods
- Fish and shellfish: cod, flounder, clams, shrimp, etc
- Dairy: Greek yogurt, cow’s milk, and cottage cheese
- Non-starchy vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, greens, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, etc
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, chia seeds, and hemp seeds
- Condiments: fresh herbs, pepper, spices, etc
- Beverages: water, sparkling water, unsweetened herbal tea, unsweetened coffee, etc
Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and high protein grains can also be enjoyed in moderation, depending on macronutrient goals. Your daily fat intake will also depend on your dietary targets. Healthy, high fat foods may include eggs, avocado, nut butters, fatty fish, and olive oil, among others.
Sample 3-Day Meal Plan (1200 Calories)
The following 3-day meal plan contains meals and snacks high in protein and low in carbs.
Day 1
- Breakfast: an omelet (two whole eggs and one egg white) filled with diced avocado, red pepper, spinach, and mushrooms
- Lunch: a turkey burger and a green salad topped with tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, and lentils
- Dinner: baked cod served with carrot and zucchini fries plus a salad
- Snacks: mixed nuts, cucumber, and broccoli with garlic hummus
Day 2
- Breakfast: cottage cheese topped with almond butter, crushed almonds, chia seeds, and blackberries
- Lunch: a grilled shrimp and a non-starchy veggie bake
- Dinner: chicken chili topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt plus a green salad
- Snacks: cherry tomato and mozzarella skewers, a protein shake made with berries and cocoa powder
Day 3
- Breakfast: sun-dried tomato and Parmesan frittata
- Lunch: broth-based vegetable soup served with a bunless black bean and tofu burger atop a mixed green salad
- Dinner: peppers stuffed with minced turkey
- Snacks: peanut butter and celery sticks, chia pudding with berries
Remember, meal choices vary depending on what type of high protein, low carb diet you’re following.
Additional Meal Ideas
Here are some additional meal ideas to incorporate into your high protein, low carb diet:
- Day 1:
- Breakfast: Combine 3/4 cup bran flakes, 1 banana and 1 cup fat-free milk in a bowl.
- Lunch: Build a pita sandwich with 1 mini whole wheat pita, 3 ounces turkey breast, 1/2 roasted pepper, 1 teaspoon mayo, mustard and lettuce. Serve with 1 stick part-skim mozzarella string cheese and a serving of fruit, like 2 kiwis.
- Dinner: Barbecue Cutlets with Citrus Slaw
- Day 2:
- Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries and nuts
- Lunch: Heat up 1 cup vegetable soup, and serve with 1 veggie burger on a slice of whole grain and seed toast or an English muffin. Pair with 1 cup of fresh grapes.
- Dinner: Barbecue Cutlets with Citrus Slaw. Or, skip the slaw and combine 2 heaping cups of sautéed spinach with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes and serve with 1/2 plain baked or sweet potato.
- Day 3:
- Breakfast: In the microwave, cook 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats with low-fat or unsweetened soy milk. Add 1/2 apple (sliced or chopped), 1 teaspoon honey and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Lunch: To make a chicken salad, toss 4 ounces shredded skinless roast chicken breasts with 1/4 cup sliced red grapes, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds or nuts of choice, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Serve over lettuce. Eat with 1 large piece of multigrain toast.
- Dinner: Serve 4 ounces steamed shrimp with 1 baked potato topped with 3 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon unsweetened Greek yogurt, plus 3 cups spinach, steamed. Finish the meal off with 1 ounce of chocolate or a 100- to 150-calorie ice cream bar.
- Day 4:
- Breakfast: Top 1 cup of plain or low-sugar Greek yogurt with 1 cup berries of choice and 1/3 cup low-sugar granola to make a simple but delectable yogurt parfait.
- Lunch: Heat 1 cup tomato soup and serve with a sandwich made with 1 mini whole-wheat pita, 3 ounces thinly sliced roast beef, 1 teaspoon horseradish, mustard, tomato slices and lettuce. Eat with 2 cups raw veggies and 1/4 cup of hummus.
- Dinner: Serve 4 ounces poached salmon with a slaw made by tossing 1 1/4 cups coleslaw mix and 2 sliced scallions with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Add spices, herbs and seasoning as desired. Pair with 1 cup of a 100% whole grain, like quinoa.
- Day 5:
- Breakfast: Combine 1 cup Cheerios, 1/2 cup berries, 1 tablespoon slivered almonds and 6 ounces plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt in a bowl.
- Lunch: Mushroom quesadillas. Complete the meal with cucumber spears and 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, topped with 2 clementines.
- Dinner: Lentil Soup
- Day 6:
- Breakfast: Toast a 100% whole-grain frozen waffle and spread 2 tablespoons nut butter on top. Add 1 small sliced banana, plus cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve with 8 ounces fat-free milk.
- Lunch: Healthy Tuna Salad. Serve with 10 baby carrots and 2/3 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with a small pear.
- Dinner: Finish off the day with a hearty meal of spicy sausage jambalaya, serviced with 3 cups spinach sautéed with garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Day 7:
- Breakfast: Layer 1/2 toasted English muffin with 1 ounce reduced-fat sliced cheese, 1 sliced tomato sliced, 1 cup steamed and drained spinach and 1 poached egg. Serve with one grapefruit.
- Lunch: Make black bean salad by tossing 1/2 cup canned black beans, 1/2 cup orange slices, chopped red bell peppers, red onion, scallions and any other desired veggies with 1 teaspoon vinegar.
Considerations for a 1200-Calorie Diet
If you’re following a 1,200-calorie diet to lose weight, you’ll want to be sure you’re consuming enough vital nutrients. The right amount of carbs, fats, and proteins can boost energy, improve overall health, and enhance your results.
Why Are Carbs, Proteins, and Fats Important?
Carbs, proteins, and fats are macronutrients. They each play a crucial role in providing your body with energy and helping it function properly.
- Carbs: Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of energy. Your brain relies on the glucose from carbohydrate metabolism for proper functioning. If you’re exercising, which is another key component of weight loss, your muscles need carbs for energy and to recover after strenuous workouts. Carbohydrates also provide dietary fiber, the parts of plant foods that your body can only minimally digest. Fiber is crucial for optimal digestive function and heart health, and it also aids weight loss. According to a study published in Nutrition, a diet high in fiber can promote weight loss even without calorie restriction.
- Proteins: The same study that found high-fiber diets lead to weight loss in the absence of caloric restriction came to a similar conclusion about protein. Protein is also digested slowly, creating lasting fullness and aiding appetite control. In addition, protein has a higher diet-induced thermogenic value than fats or carbs. Thermogenesis is the increase in metabolic rate caused by food digestion, which accounts for about 10 percent of the calories you burn in a day. Your body expends 20 to 30 percent of the caloric content of protein just to digest it, while it expends only 5 to 10 percent for carbs and less than 3 percent for fats.
- Fats: You need fats for good health, especially polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats from plant foods, which help control cholesterol and protect heart health. That doesn’t mean you should overdo it though. Fat is higher in calories than protein and carbs, gram for gram.
Recommended Macronutrient Ratios
Here are the U.S. government’s dietary guidelines:
- Between 45 percent to 65 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates. In a 1,200-calorie diet, that’s roughly 540 to 780 calories from carbs. That equals about 135 to 195 grams of carbs daily.
- Between 10 percent and 35 percent of your calories should come from protein. That’s around 120 to 420 calories in a 1,200-calorie diet, which is the equivalent of 30 to 105 grams of protein a day.
- Between 25 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from fats. In a 1,200-calorie diet, this is about 300 to 420 calories from fats, or around 33 to 47 grams of fat per day.
How Does a 1,200-Calorie Diet Claim to Work?
The 1,200-calorie diet mainly works by calorie restriction. When you consume fewer calories than your body burns, you begin to burn stored fat, which can result in weight loss. While this diet may be beneficial for some people, it might not be healthy for everyone. The amount of calories you need depends on factors like your age, activity level, height, weight, and more. Generally, it’s recommended that women consume between 1,600 and 2,400 calories a day, depending on their activity level. For men, it’s between 2,000 and 3,000 calories a day.
What Can You Eat on a 1,200-Calorie Diet?
In general, you can eat what you want on a 1,200-calorie diet, as long as you stay within the specified calorie range. However, for best results, you should aim to consume nutrient-dense foods that contain fiber-rich carbs, lean proteins, good fats, vitamins, and minerals. These types of foods may keep you feeling full longer, so you won’t be as hungry throughout the day.
- Carbs to Include: The healthiest carbohydrates are complex carbohydrates from vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Complex carbohydrates are rich in fiber, and their more complex chemical structure means your body takes longer to digest them. Examples of healthy carbs include: Brown rice, Millet, Quinoa, Broccoli, Kale, Red peppers, Raspberries, Blueberries, Lentils, Black beans.
- Proteins to Include: Lean protein is your best choice on a 1,200-calorie diet. Fatty meats, cheese, full-fat milk, and yogurt are rich in protein, but they are also high in fat and calories. Instead, choose protein-packed foods that are lower in calories, such as: White meat and skinless chicken, Beans and tofu, White-fleshed fish, Nonfat or low-fat Greek yogurt, Low-fat cottage cheese, Lean beef, Egg whites.
- Fats to Include: The majority of fats should come from plant foods and fish. Nutritious sources of healthy fats include: Nuts, Seeds, Olive oil, Avocado, Fish.
- Foods to Avoid: On a 1,200-calorie diet, you’ll want to limit foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients. Some examples include: Fried foods, Candy and baked goods, Sugary drinks, High-calorie fast food, Processed snacks, White bread and pasta, Alcohol.
Potential Benefits of a 1,200-Calorie Diet
Many research studies have found that low-calorie diets, such as a 1,200-calorie diet, can result in weight loss. For example, a recent meta-analysis of 21 different studies involving people trying to lose weight ahead of laparoscopic surgery found that a low-calorie diet helped them shed more than 6 percent of their body weight, on average. Some past studies in animals have shown that very low-calorie diets can extend lifespan and delay many age-related diseases.
Potential Risks of a 1,200-Calorie Diet
There can be drawbacks to drastically restricting your calorie intake. Some possible downsides include:
- Nutritional deficiencies: It can be difficult to get enough essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and macronutrients on a low-calorie diet.
- Muscle loss: Research has found that extremely low-calorie diets can promote muscle loss.
- Unsustainable weight loss: Many people find that a 1,200-calorie diet is difficult to maintain long-term.
- Impact on metabolism: Consuming too few calories for too long can backfire. That’s because your metabolism slows down to help conserve energy.
- Potential for disordered eating: An extremely restrictive diet may promote an unhealthy relationship with food, which could lead to a poor body image.
- Social isolation: Following a strict diet, like the 1,200-calorie diet, can make it hard to eat socially.
- Dangerous for some people: A very low-calorie diet may not be healthy for people who are very active, pregnant, or breastfeeding, as well as those who have a chronic medical condition, such as heart disease, thyroid conditions, or diabetes.
- Gallstones: Calorie-restrictive diets can increase your risk of gallstones, which can cause stomach pain and may require surgery.
- Other side effects: Following a calorie-restrictive diet can lead to side effects, such as headaches, irritability, nausea, and fatigue.
Is a High Protein, Low Carb Diet Right for You?
The high protein, low carb diet has no set definition but may be best for people who want to promote weight loss while preserving or increasing muscle mass. However, a 1,200-calorie diet can be difficult to sustain long-term. It may work for some people, but it may be too restrictive for others. In some cases, it can be unsafe or even harmful. You might need more calories if you are very active, male, pregnant, or breastfeeding, or if you have an eating disorder or certain medical conditions. You should always talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new diet.
Can I Lose Weight on a High Protein, Low Carb Diet?
The most important factor in weight loss is maintaining a calorie deficit, which is when you burn more calories than you consume. A high protein, low carb diet may help you lose weight if you maintain a calorie deficit. However, you can also gain weight on this diet if you consume more calories than you burn.
How to Eat High Protein Low Carb on a Budget?
Some of the cheaper high protein, low carb foods available include eggs, canned foods like fish, beans, and lentils, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tofu, and ground meats like chicken, beef, and pork. Consider opting for “own brand” products instead of brand names, as these are usually more affordable.
What Happens if You Only Eat Protein and No Carbs?
Consuming 0 g of carbs is an extreme diet that would require exclusively eating meat and pure fat, like oils. Research on how these diets impact health is limited, but generally, diets high in animal-based foods have been linked with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.