PastThePlateau
Recipes

High-Protein, Low-Carb Recipes

Six simple recipes built around the biggest challenge of eating on a GLP-1: getting enough protein in when your appetite — and the amount of food you can comfortably eat — is much smaller than it used to be. Not sure how much protein you need? Start with our protein calculator.

Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from standard ingredient data, and will vary with exact brands and portions. Not personalized nutrition or medical advice.

1. Greek Yogurt Protein Bowl

A bowl of Greek yogurt topped with strawberries, nuts, and honey

Photo by Enisa Halidi via Pexels

Breakfast or snack · 5 minutes · 1 serving

~28g protein ~14g carbs ~260 calories

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (about 227g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 scoop (about 25g) unflavored or vanilla whey or casein protein powder
  • 1/4 cup berries (raspberries or blueberries)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon, optional

Instructions

  1. Stir the protein powder into the Greek yogurt until smooth (a splash of water or milk helps if it's thick).
  2. Top with berries and cinnamon.

Greek yogurt is already one of the higher-protein foods by volume, which makes this an easy way to hit a large share of a daily protein target in one small bowl.

2. Cottage Cheese & Egg Scramble

Scrambled eggs cooking in a pan

Photo by cottonbro studio via Pexels

Breakfast · 10 minutes · 1 serving

~32g protein ~6g carbs ~320 calories

Ingredients

  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1/2 cup (about 110g) low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped spinach
  • Salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk the eggs with the cottage cheese — the curds mostly melt in, adding protein without much extra volume.
  2. Scramble in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat, folding in the spinach in the last minute.

Blending cottage cheese into eggs is a simple way to roughly double the protein of a normal scramble without adding much volume — useful on days when even a small plate of food feels like a lot.

3. Sheet-Pan Chicken & Broccoli

Grilled chicken breast served with broccoli

Photo by Joerg Mangelsen via Pexels

Lunch or dinner · 30 minutes · 2 servings

~38g protein / serving ~9g carbs / serving ~310 calories / serving

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6oz / 170g each)
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Toss chicken and broccoli with olive oil and seasonings on a sheet pan.
  3. Roast 20-25 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally and broccoli is lightly browned.

Easy to make in bulk and portion into containers — helpful for hitting your protein target across the week without cooking daily.

4. Baked Salmon with Asparagus

Grilled salmon steak served with asparagus

Photo by Helen via Pexels

Dinner · 20 minutes · 1 serving

~34g protein ~7g carbs ~360 calories

Ingredients

  • 1 salmon fillet (about 6oz / 170g)
  • 1 cup asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon wedge, salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Place salmon and asparagus on a lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season, and add a lemon wedge.
  3. Bake 12-15 minutes until salmon flakes easily.

Salmon also provides omega-3 fats alongside protein, and this whole meal comes together on one pan with minimal cleanup — useful on lower-energy days.

5. Turkey & Hummus Lettuce Wraps

Vegetable and deli meat rolls garnished with cherry tomatoes and lettuce

Photo by RDNE Stock project via Pexels

Lunch or snack · 10 minutes · 1 serving

~30g protein ~8g carbs ~280 calories

Ingredients

  • 5oz (140g) sliced deli turkey breast
  • 4 large butter lettuce or romaine leaves
  • 2 tbsp hummus
  • Sliced cucumber and bell pepper

Instructions

  1. Spread hummus on each lettuce leaf.
  2. Layer turkey, cucumber, and bell pepper, then roll or fold to eat.

No cooking required — a good option for days when preparing a full meal feels like too much, or for packing ahead.

6. High-Protein Smoothie

A healthy green smoothie topped with fresh mint leaves

Photo by alleksana via Pexels

Any meal or snack · 5 minutes · 1 serving

~35g protein ~15g carbs ~290 calories

Ingredients

  • 1 scoop (about 30g) protein powder
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1/2 cup water (or all milk, for more calories)
  • 1/2 cup frozen spinach or cauliflower rice (unnoticeable flavor-wise, adds volume)
  • 1/4 avocado or 1 tbsp nut butter, optional, for extra calories if needed
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. Blend everything until smooth.

Liquid calories are often the easiest way to get protein in on days when solid food feels unappealing — a common experience on GLP-1 medications, especially earlier in titration.

A note on eating enough overall

These recipes are built to be protein-dense relative to their size, which helps on days when appetite is limited. But protein needs still depend on your body weight and goals — use our protein calculator to get a personalized daily target, and see our guide on muscle loss on GLP-1 medications for why hitting that target matters. If you're consistently unable to eat enough to feel well, or you're losing weight unusually fast, talk to your prescriber — that's a conversation for your care team, not something to troubleshoot with recipes alone.