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Ways to Add Protein to Your Diet

If you have appetite loss, weight loss, sore throat, or trouble swallowing, your doctor or dietitian may suggest you add protein to your diet. Use this list to get ideas on how to increase protein in your diet.

Hard or semisoft cheese

  • melt on:
    • sandwiches
    • bread
    • muffins 
    • tortillas 
    • hamburgers 
    • hot dogs 
    • meats and fish 
    • vegetables
    • eggs 
    • desserts 
    • stewed fruit 
    • pies 
  • grate and add to: 
    • soups
    • sauces
    • casseroles
    • vegetable dishes
    • mashed potatoes
    • rice
    • noodles 
    • meatloaf

Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese

  • mix with or use to stuff fruits and vegetables
  • add to:
    • casseroles
    • spaghetti
    • noodles 
    • egg dishes, such as omelets, scrambled eggs, and soufflés 

Milk

  • use milk instead of water in drinks and in cooking 
  • use in hot cereal, soups, cocoa, and pudding 

Nonfat instant dry milk or protein powder

  • add to milk and milk drinks, such as pasteurized eggnog and milkshakes 
  • mix with ice cream, milk, and fruit for a high-protein milkshake 
  • use in: 
    • casseroles 
    • meatloaf 
    • breads 
    • muffins 
    • sauces 
    • cream soups
    • mashed potatoes 
    • macaroni and cheese 
    • pudding 
    • custard 
    • other milk-based desserts 

Ice cream, yogurt, and frozen yogurt

  • add to: 
    • carbonated drinks 
    • milk drinks, such as milkshakes 
    • cereal 
    • fruit 
    • gelatin (Jell-O)
    • pies
  • mix with soft or cooked fruits 
  • make a sandwich of ice cream or frozen yogurt between cake slices, cookies, or graham crackers
  • mix with breakfast drinks and fruit, such as bananas 

Eggs

  • add chopped hard-boiled eggs to salads, salad dressings, vegetables, casseroles, and creamed meats 
  • make a rich custard with eggs, milk, and sugar 
  • add extra hard-boiled yolks to deviled egg filling and sandwich spread 
  • beat eggs into mashed potatoes, pureed vegetables, and sauces (make sure to keep cooking these dishes after adding the eggs because raw eggs may contain harmful bacteria) 
  • add extra eggs or egg whites to: 
    • custard 
    • puddings 
    • quiches 
    • scrambled eggs 
    • omelets 
    • pancake or French toast batter 

Nuts, seeds, and wheat germ

  • add to: 
    • casseroles 
    • breads 
    • muffins 
    • pancakes 
    • cookies 
    • waffles 
  • sprinkle on: 
    • fruit 
    • cereal
    • ice cream 
    • yogurt 
    • vegetables
    • salads 
    • toast 
  • use in place of breadcrumbs in recipes
  • blend with parsley, spinach, or herbs and cream to make a sauce for noodle, pasta, or vegetable dishes 
  • roll bananas in chopped nuts

Peanut butter and other nut butters

  • spread on: 
    • sandwiches 
    • toast 
    • muffins 
    • crackers 
    • waffles 
    • pancakes 
    • fruit slices
  • use as a dip for raw vegetables 
  • blend with milk and other drinks 
  • swirl through soft ice cream and yogurt 

Meat, poultry, and fish

  • add chopped, cooked meat or fish to: 
    • vegetables 
    • salads
    • casseroles 
    • soups 
    • sauces 
    • biscuit dough 
    • omelets 
    • soufflés 
    • quiches
    • sandwich fillings 
    • chicken and turkey stuffings 
  • wrap in pie crust or biscuit dough as turnovers
  • add to baked potatoes 

Beans, legumes, and tofu

  • add to casseroles, pasta dishes, soups, salads, and grain dishes 
  • mash cooked beans with cheese and milk

Learn more tips to help manage eating problems. 

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