How much protein should I eat on Paleo?

Commonly used targets sit between 1.6 and 2.2 g per kg of body weight for people training for muscle. Individual needs vary — ask a dietitian if precision matters to you.

Are protein powders Paleo?

Whey is a dairy product, so strict Paleo excludes it. Egg white and beef protein isolates are the usual workarounds.

Can you build muscle on Paleo?

Yes, given enough total protein and enough total calories. The diet's restrictions make both easier to under-hit, so plan them deliberately.

What are the highest-protein Paleo snacks?

Boiled eggs, beef jerky without added sugar, tinned tuna and cold roast chicken.

High Protein Paleo Meal Plan

Paleo without dairy or legumes means protein has to come from meat, fish and eggs on purpose. This plan biases every slot — including snacks — toward protein.

Goal

Duration

Max cooking time

Budget

People

Estimated 1727 kcal and 115 g protein per person per day. Figures are rough planning estimates, not measured values.

Your 7-day Paleo meal plan

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snack
Monday	Sweet potato & sausage hash	Chicken & roasted sweet potato box	Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoli	Beef jerky + fruit
Tuesday	2-ingredient banana pancakes	Ground beef taco bowl	Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodles	Two hard-boiled eggs
Wednesday	Make-ahead egg muffins	Chicken salad bowl	Roast chicken & root vegetables	Tuna on cucumber rounds
Thursday	Berry protein smoothie	Tuna & avocado boats	Coconut chicken curry	Apple + almonds
Friday	Eggs & avocado	Beef patties & slaw	15-minute beef stir-fry	Leftover chicken strips
Saturday	Berry protein smoothie	Tuna & avocado boats	Turkey & vegetable chili	Banana + almond butter
Sunday	2-ingredient banana pancakes	Beef patties & slaw	Beef & roasted vegetables	Apple + almonds

Grocery list

Scaled for 1 person across 7 days.

Meat & Protein

Beef jerky (no added sugar) — 40 g
Beef steak or stewing beef — 310 g
Canned tuna — 2.5 can
Chicken breast — 560 g
Chicken thighs — 2 thighs
Eggs — 12.5 eggs
Ground beef — 600 g
Ground turkey — 150 g
Pork sausage (no additives) — 100 g
Whole chicken — 0.3 chicken

Vegetables & Fruit

Apples — 3 apple
Avocado — 2.5 avocado
Banana — 5 banana
Bell peppers — 3 pepper
Broccoli — 1.5 head
Cabbage — 0.4 head
Carrots — 2 carrots
Carrots — 2 carrot
Cauliflower — 0.3 head
Cucumber — 0.8 cucumber
Frozen berries — 2 cup
Garlic — 2 cloves
Lemons — 0.8 lemon
Lettuce (romaine) — 0.3 head
Mixed salad leaves — 2 handfuls
Onion — 0.8 onion
Spinach — 1 handful
Sweet potatoes — 3 medium
Tomatoes — 1 tomato
Zucchini — 1.5 zucchini

Pantry

Almond butter — 3 tbsp
Almonds — 50 g
Coconut aminos — 1 tbsp
Coconut milk — 1.5 cup
Coconut oil — 2 tsp
Crushed tomatoes — 1 can
Curry powder — 1 tbsp
Ground cumin — 2 tsp
Olive oil — 4 tsp
Olive oil — 6 tbsp

Sunday 60-minute meal prep

Cook these components once and the rest of the week is assembly.

1. Sweet potato & sausage hashPan-fry pre-roasted sweet potato cubes with sausage and onion until crisp.
2. Chicken & roasted sweet potato boxAssemble from Sunday prep: chicken, roast sweet potato, roast broccoli.
3. Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoliThighs skin-side up with broccoli and garlic, 200C for 30 minutes.
4. Beef jerky + fruitCheck the label for sugar and soy; pair with an apple.
5. Ground beef taco bowlBrown ground beef with cumin and paprika, spoon over shredded lettuce and salsa.
6. Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodlesBake beef meatballs bound with egg, simmer in crushed tomatoes, serve over zoodles.

Hitting protein without dairy

Anchor every meal with 30 to 50 grams of protein from meat, fish or eggs, and use protein-containing snacks such as jerky, boiled eggs or leftover chicken rather than fruit and nuts alone.

Breakfast: eggs plus a second protein — sausage, salmon or steak
Lunch: 150g or more of cooked chicken, beef or fish
Dinner: a full palm-and-a-half portion of protein plus vegetables
Snack: eggs, jerky or cold roast chicken

Carbohydrate around training

Sweet potato, banana and fruit are the easiest Paleo carbohydrate sources to place around training. Put the biggest carbohydrate portion in the meal after your session.

Highest-protein meals in the library

Sweet potato & sausage hash

breakfast · 15 min · 26 g protein · ~520 kcal

Pan-fry pre-roasted sweet potato cubes with sausage and onion until crisp.

Pork sausage (no additives), Sweet potatoes, Onion, Olive oil

Smoked salmon & scrambled eggs

breakfast · 10 min · 32 g protein · ~450 kcal

Soft-scramble eggs, fold through smoked salmon and chives off the heat.

Smoked salmon, Eggs, Olive oil

Steak & eggs

breakfast · 15 min · 45 g protein · ~600 kcal

Sear a thin sirloin 2 min a side, rest, serve with two fried eggs.

Sirloin steak, Eggs, Olive oil

Chicken salad bowl

lunch · 10 min · 40 g protein · ~480 kcal

Toss pre-cooked chicken with salad leaves, cucumber, olive oil and lemon.

Chicken breast, Mixed salad leaves, Cucumber, Olive oil, Lemons

Turkey lettuce wraps

lunch · 10 min · 35 g protein · ~420 kcal

Fill romaine or butter lettuce leaves with turkey, avocado and grated carrot.

Turkey breast, Lettuce (romaine), Avocado, Carrots

Tuna & avocado boats

lunch · 10 min · 34 g protein · ~430 kcal

Mix canned tuna with lemon and olive oil, pile into avocado halves.

Canned tuna, Avocado, Lemons, Olive oil

Ground beef taco bowl

lunch · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~550 kcal

Brown ground beef with cumin and paprika, spoon over shredded lettuce and salsa.

Ground beef, Lettuce (romaine), Tomatoes, Ground cumin

Chicken & vegetable soup

lunch · 15 min · 32 g protein · ~380 kcal

Simmer shredded chicken with carrot, celery and broth; freezes well in portions.

Chicken breast, Carrots, Celery, Chicken broth

Salmon & greens salad

lunch · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~520 kcal

Flake leftover roast salmon over greens with cucumber and olive oil.

Salmon fillet, Mixed salad leaves, Cucumber, Olive oil

Shrimp & zucchini noodles

lunch · 15 min · 34 g protein · ~400 kcal

Sauté shrimp with garlic, toss through spiralised zucchini for one minute.

Shrimp, Zucchini, Garlic, Olive oil

Chicken & roasted sweet potato box

lunch · 15 min · 42 g protein · ~560 kcal

Assemble from Sunday prep: chicken, roast sweet potato, roast broccoli.

Chicken breast, Sweet potatoes, Broccoli

Beef patties & slaw

lunch · 15 min · 36 g protein · ~540 kcal

Grill seasoned patties, serve with cabbage slaw dressed in olive oil and lemon.

Ground beef, Cabbage, Carrots, Olive oil

Beef & roasted vegetables

dinner · 30 min · 44 g protein · ~620 kcal

Roast mixed vegetables 25 min; pan-sear beef and rest while they finish.

Beef steak or stewing beef, Bell peppers, Zucchini, Onion, Olive oil

Salmon & asparagus tray bake

dinner · 30 min · 40 g protein · ~560 kcal

One tray, 200C, 15 minutes: salmon, asparagus, lemon, olive oil.

Salmon fillet, Asparagus, Lemons, Olive oil

Sheet-pan chicken thighs & broccoli

dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~600 kcal

Thighs skin-side up with broccoli and garlic, 200C for 30 minutes.

Chicken thighs, Broccoli, Garlic, Olive oil

15-minute beef stir-fry

dinner · 15 min · 40 g protein · ~540 kcal

Hot pan, thin beef strips 2 min, add peppers and broccoli, finish with coconut aminos.

Beef steak or stewing beef, Bell peppers, Broccoli, Coconut aminos

Coconut chicken curry

dinner · 30 min · 40 g protein · ~620 kcal

Simmer chicken in coconut milk with curry spices and cauliflower rice.

Chicken breast, Coconut milk, Cauliflower, Curry powder

Pork chops & apple slaw

dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~580 kcal

Sear pork chops 4 min a side, rest; toss shredded cabbage with grated apple.

Pork chops, Cabbage, Apples, Olive oil

Baked white fish & greens

dinner · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~420 kcal

Bake cod 12 min with lemon; wilt spinach in the same pan juices.

White fish fillet (cod), Spinach, Lemons, Olive oil

Paleo meatballs & zucchini noodles

dinner · 30 min · 40 g protein · ~570 kcal

Bake beef meatballs bound with egg, simmer in crushed tomatoes, serve over zoodles.

Ground beef, Eggs, Crushed tomatoes, Zucchini

Roast chicken & root vegetables

dinner · 30 min · 46 g protein · ~640 kcal

Roast a whole chicken over carrots and sweet potato; leftovers feed two lunches.

Whole chicken, Carrots, Sweet potatoes, Olive oil

Garlic shrimp & cauliflower rice

dinner · 15 min · 38 g protein · ~450 kcal

Sauté shrimp in garlic and olive oil; fry riced cauliflower alongside.

Shrimp, Cauliflower, Garlic, Olive oil

Turkey & vegetable chili

dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~520 kcal

Brown turkey mince, add tomatoes, peppers and spices, simmer 20 minutes.

Ground turkey, Crushed tomatoes, Bell peppers, Ground cumin

Lamb chops & roasted carrots

dinner · 30 min · 42 g protein · ~660 kcal

Roast carrots 25 min; grill lamb chops 3 min a side and rest.

Lamb chops, Carrots, Olive oil

Leftover chicken strips

snack · 10 min · 30 g protein · ~190 kcal

Sliced cold roast chicken from the Sunday batch.

Chicken breast

Frequently asked questions

How much protein should I eat on Paleo?: Commonly used targets sit between 1.6 and 2.2 g per kg of body weight for people training for muscle. Individual needs vary — ask a dietitian if precision matters to you.
Are protein powders Paleo?: Whey is a dairy product, so strict Paleo excludes it. Egg white and beef protein isolates are the usual workarounds.
Can you build muscle on Paleo?: Yes, given enough total protein and enough total calories. The diet's restrictions make both easier to under-hit, so plan them deliberately.
What are the highest-protein Paleo snacks?: Boiled eggs, beef jerky without added sugar, tinned tuna and cold roast chicken.