{"id":617912,"date":"2026-05-01T20:18:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/617912\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T20:18:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T20:18:15","slug":"what-is-the-best-time-of-day-to-eat-protein-nbc10-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/617912\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the best time of day to eat protein? \u2013 NBC10 Philadelphia"},"content":{"rendered":"

From protein powder to protein shakes, meat-heavy meals and egg dishes, it\u2019s trendy to fill the diet<\/a> with lots of protein.<\/p>\n

At the other end of the spectrum, people who use GLP-1 weight-loss drugs often eat a \u201ccritically low\u201d amount of the essential macronutrient, a recent\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0found.<\/p>\n

Protein is key for overall health<\/a>. It\u2019s important for muscle growth and tissue repair, it supports the immune system and provides satiety.\u00a0High-protein diets<\/a>\u00a0are popular because they can lead to weight loss without medication.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re focusing on protein, you may wonder if eating it at a certain meal would have the most benefits.<\/p>\n

What time of day is best to eat protein?<\/p>\n

The best time is at every meal, experts say.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople love the idea that there\u2019s a perfect time to eat protein, but the truth is it\u2019s less about one \u2018best\u2019 moment and more about how you spread it out over the day,\u201d says registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, nutrition editor for TODAY.<\/p>\n

Adults eat three times more protein at dinner than at breakfast,\u00a0studies<\/a>\u00a0have found, which puzzles Lisa Young, a registered dietitian in New York and author of \u201cFinally Full, Finally Slim<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of times, people will not eat a lot of protein early in the day \u2014 they’ll just save it up and eat it all for dinner. What are you saving it for?\u201d Young wonders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving some throughout the day is always going to be the best thing to regulate your appetite, your blood sugar and to keep that energy steady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Protein benefits at breakfast<\/p>\n

Eating protein in the morning is \u201cmost important\u201d because it creates satiety and prevents energy dips, Young says.<\/p>\n

Breakfast is a great opportunity to start the day with protein, Rizzo adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter an overnight fast, your body is primed to use protein, and starting your day with it can help with energy, focus and staying full longer. So I often encourage people, especially active people, not to skip protein in the morning,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrioritizing it at breakfast can help them add more to their diet and feel better as they go into their day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greater protein intake at breakfast or in the form of snacks, and less at dinner is associated with cardiometabolic health in adults,\u00a0research has found<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To get started, try\u00a0these high-protein healthy breakfast ideas<\/a>\u00a0that incorporate eggs, dairy and other tasty ingredients.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Protein benefits at snack time<\/p>\n

The advantages include stabilizing blood sugar levels and regulating appetite.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re getting hungry between meals, that\u2019s your body asking for something, and adding protein can make that snack more satisfying and stabilize your energy,\u201d Rizzo explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of reaching for a carb-heavy snack, eating a protein-rich snack helps you avoid that midafternoon crash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Young recommends creating \u201cthe perfect pair\u201d for a healthy snack such as carrots and humus, an apple and peanut butter, or cheese and crackers.<\/p>\n

For more ideas, try\u00a0these high-protein snacks<\/a>\u00a0to keep you full on the go, from a dietitian.<\/p>\n

Protein benefits after a workout<\/p>\n

Since muscles get worn down during a workout, they need protein to repair and grow stronger, so getting a protein-rich meal or snack within an hour or two afterward can support recovery and muscle building, Rizzo notes.<\/p>\n

But Young thinks many people overdo that one. Unless you’re running a marathon or doing serious weight training, it’s fine to have a little protein snack after a gym session, but you don’t need to have a protein shake, she says.<\/p>\n

Protein benefits at dinner<\/p>\n

It helps with satiety and may cut down on evening snacking, but Rizzo reminds people not to under-eat protein all day and then load up at dinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it\u2019s not harmful, it\u2019s not the most effective way to use protein. Your body can only absorb so much protein in one sitting, so spreading it across meals is a smarter strategy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia Live contributor Blanche Shaheen meets up with the founder of Food La La ,Lindsay Kinder, to talk about protein. Stop the “hunger cycle” and stay full longer by prioritizing protein at breakfast, perhaps with a savory Bone Broth Latte (broth, miso, lemon, and ginger).\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

How much protein should I eat in a day?<\/p>\n

Both dietitians recommend aiming for 20-30 grams of protein at any meal, including breakfast. For larger or more active individuals, it might go up to 30-40 grams, Rizzo adds. That amount seems to be the \u201csweet spot\u201d for supporting muscle repair and satiety, she says.<\/p>\n

Adults should consume 1.2\u20131.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, according to the new\u00a0Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025\u20132030<\/a>. That\u2019s up from the previous recommended dietary allowance of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram per day.<\/p>\n

For a person who weighs 150 pounds, it amounts to 81-109 grams of daily protein.<\/p>\n

In general, most people are probably getting enough protein, Rizzo says, noting “people are obsessed with protein<\/a>\u00a0right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

That obsession means missing out on other nutrients, like fiber-rich vegetables, whole grains or healthy fats, both dietitians say.<\/p>\n

A balanced approach to all macronutrients throughout the day works best, Rizzo says.<\/p>\n

This story first\u00a0appeared on TODAY.com<\/a>. More from TODAY:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From protein powder to protein shakes, meat-heavy meals and egg dishes, it\u2019s trendy to fill the diet with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":617913,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[65202,97,269],"class_list":["post-617912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-diet-exercise","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=617912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/617912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/617913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=617912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=617912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=617912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}