33 Protein and Carb Meal Combos
Add variety to your plate with these 33 protein and carb meal combos!
Ever since the day of Bill Phillips, Body for Life, I’ve tried to balance my meals by combining a protein and carb. I find it incredibly filling, satisfying, and delicious! It’s as if protein and carbs were meant for each other in every meal! It’s been an easy guideline for me when I don’t have a lot of control over my menu, like our recent healthy eating on a cruise!
What is a carbohydrate?
Carbohydrates, or carbs for short, are a macronutrient that provides energy to the body through fruit, grains, milks or vegetables in small amounts. For purposes here, the only vegetables I count in the carbs food category are starchy ones like potatoes. Otherwise, when I talk about carbs it’s mostly foods that are a grain or a fruit.
What is a protein?
A protein is a food that provides amino acid chains that our body uses to build muscle and other tissues. Animal based proteins include meats, eggs, and dairy. While plant based proteins include beans, nuts and seeds.
Why combine protein and carbs?
Combining protein and carbs on your plate not only provides you with the majority of the nutrition your body needs, but it’s also very filling. In combination, micronutrients from both food groups assist our bodies in utilizing the nutrients consumed.
So, these are 33 of my favorite go-to combos for balancing proteins and carbs for a meal! Bonus if you can add some veggies for extra bulk without making a big dent in your macro nutrient profile.
List of Protein and Carb Meal Combos
- Scrambled egg and a banana
- Ground beef with white rice (optional: avocado and Bolthouse ranch on top!)
- Chicken and sweet potato
- Egg on toast or bagel
- Protein powder mixed with frozen berries
- Apple and almond butter
- Tuna wrapped in a tortilla
- Steak and potato
- Orange plus string cheese
- Peaches in cottage cheese
- Teriyaki chicken and rice
- Oatmeal with nuts plus hard boiled egg
- Egg white, cottage cheese, oatmeal pancakes.
- Greek yogurt with fruit
- Hard boiled egg salad on bread
- Almonds and dried apples
- Roasted chickpeas
- Rotisserie chicken in a tortilla or wrap
- Rice cake and peanut butter
- Cottage cheese and beans
- Deli turkey with hummus or laughing cow cheese on a flour tortilla
- Granola on Greek yogurt
- Steak with rice
- Fajita: Steak strips with bell peppers, onion on a tortilla.
- Kodiak cake with Greek yogurt on top and berries.
- Salad with chicken and croutons.
- Pita bread with BBQ chicken
- Fish plus quinoa
- Tuna on toast
- Edamame and Rice
- Shrimp and Couscous
- Roast and potatoes
- Salmon with Quinoa
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To make your own combinations, use my portion plate food list and choose something from the protein column, and pair it with something from the grain or fruit column. The more veggies you can add to the meal, the better!
Download the free 7 Day Meal Plan here.
Hi I am just learning about Macros. I am 69 years of age and I am weight lifting. I want to build muscle and lose a few pounds. I am in very good shape. How do I find out how many calories I need a day and the amount of Macros protein fat and carbs
Hi Christine,I have a calculator on this page if you want to use it!https://healthbeet.org/weight-loss/macro-counting/
If it’s confusing, respond to me with your height and weight and I can recommend a starting place.
Amy
Hello! Currently working on building muscle after losing 90 lbs. Working with a personal trainer and am in the gym 3 days a week doing weight training. My macro goals are around 200g protein, 80g fat, 380g carbs, and 2900 kcal per day. On days when I hit my caloric & protein goals, my fats always seem on the higher side. Any suggestions for meals that would help to keep things in balance?
The only way to spare fat and hit your protein is to make sure you are using lean proteins without a lot of fat. Chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs or with skin. 99% lean turkey instead of 80%. Lean beef instead of fatty cuts. Egg whites instead of whole eggs, etc.
I’m trying to do the pain inflammation weight loss plan. I have severe inflammation and pain and very overweight which it all makes sense. He says high fat high protein for lunch then high protein with carbs for f dinner rim not sure wat carbs I should eat with that dinner
Hi Kathleen!
I’m not qualified to create meal plans for specific medical conditions. Only a dietitian can do that. But, the carbs I like for dinner are stachy carbs like potatoes, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, and other veggies!
Do you have a cookbook with all of this in it?
I don’t have an official cookbook, but I have an ebook that has 30 dinner ideas here
https://healthbeetinc.com/products/1200-calorie-meal-plan/
Hopefully I’ll have an official cookbook soon!