8 Best High-Protein Dinner Foods for Weight Loss, According to a Dietitian

Dinner is a meal that many of us don't want to miss. First, it's often our most social meal of the day—eating with family or friends or both. Dinner also plays a key role in helping you lose weight, if that's a current goal of yours.

While you might think that skipping dinner would help in your weight loss quest, according to a 2021 study published in the journal Nutrients, it may have the exact opposite effect. The study used college students as participants and found that those who regularly skipped dinner gained about 10% more weight over 6 years compared to the students who regularly ate dinner. Dinner skippers were also more likely to have a BMI in the overweight or obese category.

That said, dinner doesn't have to be an all-you-can-eat buffet. Research, such as a 2019 review in Nutrients, suggests that making breakfast or lunch your largest meal of the day could help you lose more weight than if you made dinner your biggest meal.

This is where protein comes in. If your goal is to make dinner a lighter meal, including a protein-rich food would be wise. Protein is extremely satisfying and makes sticking to a lower-calorie diet easier.

So, with that said, here are some of the best high-protein foods to add inspiration to your dinner menu!

1. Chicken Thighs

1 thigh with skin, 32 grams of protein, per the USDA

This dark meat cut clocks in a little lower protein-wise compared to its chicken breast sibling but deserves points for its extra zinc and iron. Size-wise a thigh is much closer to the recommended 3 to 4-ounce serving of protein than a typical chicken breast, so choosing a thigh over a breast is an easy way to keep portion sizes in check.

Save money and eat well with these budget-friendly chicken thigh recipes.

2. Turkey Breast

3 oz. turkey breast, no skin, 26 grams of protein, per the USDA

We're still in support of the chicken breast (aka America's favorite cut of chicken), but its turkey cousin is ever-so-slightly lower in calories and the flavor is just different enough to break up the monotony of chicken breast.

These turkey breast dinner recipes offer healthy inspiration.

3. Shrimp

3 oz. of shrimp, 20 grams of protein, per the USDA

Shrimp are incredibly lean (a full cup of them has only a little over 1 gram of total fat), yet they're packed with protein. Unless your healthcare practitioner has advised you otherwise, don't sweat their cholesterol content. Evidence suggests that dietary cholesterol doesn't significantly raise your risk for heart disease.

These 30-minute shrimp dinners are a must-try.

4. Bison

3 oz. ground bison, 22 grams of protein, per the USDA

Ounce-for-ounce bison is leaner than even 95 percent lean ground beef and only slightly lower in protein. Use it exactly how you would ground beef. Another game meat that's a great source of protein is venison (deer meat)—it's just not as commonly available in supermarkets as bison.

Here's some inspiration for what to do with bison for dinner tonight.

5. Lentils

1 cup lentils, 18 grams of protein, per the USDA

"I think of lentils as 'plant-based ground beef' meaning you can use them in place of ground beef in your favorite recipes like tacos, pasta sauce, burgers, meatballs," says DJ Blatner, RDN, author of The Flexitarian Diet and The Superfood Swap.

Including about a 1/2 cup of lentils (or any beans) in your diet regularly may help with weight loss and belly fat, suggests 2023 research in Nutrients. This is likely because they are high in protein and fiber, which increases feelings of satisfaction and also delivers antioxidants to keep cells healthy, explains Blatner.

Add more lentils to your diet with these delicious, healthy recipes.

6. Eggs

2 large eggs, 12 grams of protein, per the USDA

"Breakfast foods make great high-protein dinners. Add eggs to your fried rice or make a pizza frittata," says Blatner. "A single egg has 6 to 7 grams of protein, only 80 calories, and delivers choline, a nutrient that is good for brain health and may also be associated with a healthier body composition."

Try these healthy, quick and easy egg recipes.

7. Cottage Cheese

1 cup 2% cottage cheese, 24 grams protein, per the USDA

Yes, cottage cheese is healthy! Cottage cheese isn't just high in protein, it's also quite low in carbs and even contributes some probiotics to your gut. Make it the base of your favorite veggie salad��think, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, a sprinkling of your favorite herbs, and a dash of a zesty spice, like sumac). Or use cottage cheese as a toast or cracker topper.

Here are 11 cottage cheese recipes you'll want to make forever.

8. Greek Yogurt

7 oz. container, 20 grams of protein, per the USDA

This breakfast food can pull double-duty as a dinner food and is a perfect stand-in for sour cream. "Use Greek yogurt as a sour cream swap in your taco bowls or base of creamy salad dressings," says Blatner. "Yogurt, eaten regularly as part of a balanced diet, is a food that's associated with lower body weight."

Check out these healthy yogurt recipes (that include a few dessert ideas, too!).

The Bottom Line

While they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, dinner deserves some accolades, too. By regularly skipping it, you may be missing out on a weight loss advantage—not to mention important nutrients to round out your day. Making protein the star of your evening meal will help fill you up and stay satisfied through bedtime.