Healthy, High Protein Meals (When You’re Sick of Chicken)

I talk about protein quite a bit. And for good reason.

Because many of you simply aren’t getting enough of it.

If you're over age 50, you likely get only a fraction of the protein you need every day. 

And when you don’t get enough protein, your body begins to shut down.

Low energy, declining strength. Even sagging skin and “brain fog.” 

A protein shake is a great way to fill gaps, and I like to add protein to my morning smoothie to start the day on the right foot. 

But to stay full and fueled throughout the day, healthy protein at each meal makes sense, especially as we age. 

For a lot of us, chicken is the “go-to.” It’s lean, readily available, and reasonably priced, even when you go organic (which you should if you can).

But after a while, it’s easy to fall into a chicken rut. And especially if you’re not a big seafood person (a lot of people aren’t) then you might be left wondering how to get the protein you need in a meal you’ll actually enjoy. 

So here are a couple of my favorite high-protein dinners. No chicken required!

Summer is prime grill season, but I keep the grill going all year long.  

And there are few things I love more than a juicy grilled steak.

A steak is a truly healthy option if you choose grass-fed, regardless of what some might say. 

Plus, you know what also tastes great grilled with steak? Peaches.

Paired together, the savory steak and sweet peaches are downright delicious.

This time of year, peaches aren’t in season. But if you get canned half peaches (not in that high sugar syrup!), they’ll work just as well. And they take only a minute to grill up – plus, no peeling. 

Put the grilled steak and peaches on top of a spinach salad, add some pecans for crunch and blue cheese crumbles for a burst of flavor, then drizzle on a nice red wine vinaigrette.

All in, this steak and peach salad packs well over 25 grams of protein per serving, more if you load up the steak.

If you’re looking for something a little spicier, you could try my zucchini & avocado “boats.”

To start, I cut a few zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle a little paprika over each one, then set them aside.

Next, I sauté some minced garlic and chopped onions, add in ground turkey, and spice it up with cumin, paprika, and chili powder.

Once the turkey is cooked through, I fill the boats with the ground turkey mixture and sprinkle with a little cheddar cheese.

Then the boats go in a 400^⁰ oven for about 10-12 minutes.

Serve warm, with a protein-packed salsa made with a combination of avocado, red onion, cilantro and white wine vinegar.

One serving (2 boats) gives you about 27 grams of protein.

These are just two of my favorites.

Other great non-chicken protein sources include eggs, pork and fish, like sea bass, salmon and tuna.

Look, I like chicken as much as the next guy, but even I have my days when I just can’t take another bite.

When you’re completely over grilled chicken, give one of these options a try.