Your ultimate guide to high protein food

Learn why protein is vital to your daily diet, which foods are the best sources and how to eat more protein with our healthy recipes and delicious, nutritious High Protein range.

Food Editor

Emily Lambe

How to eat high protein foods

Whether you're looking to make some everyday swaps at breakfast, need speedy grab-and-go lunch ideas, or want a high protein dinner that's big on flavour but low on fuss, our High Protein range makes it easy and tasty to up your protein. Learn about the importance of protein, how much protein you should be eating and how to incorporate it into your diet.

Discover the range

New High Protein picks in the Foodhall

What is protein, and why do you need it?

"Protein is an essential macro nutrient that our body needs for energy, growth and repair," says M&S Senior Nutritionist, Sophia Thistlethwaite. "Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. Some essential amino acids cannot be made by the body, and therefore need to be consumed in food.

Protein helps our muscles repair and recover after exercise. Choosing a meal rich in protein after exercising, like a beef stir-fry with plenty of veggies and noodles or a salmon and veg tray bake, aids recovery and can help reduce the risk of injury."

How to achieve a balanced diet

Top high protein foods to eat

When trying to incorporate protein into your diet, aim for variety. Protein can typically be found in meat, fish and poultry, but there are also many plant-based, protein-rich foods including beans, pulses and vegetables which also add more fibre to the diet.

Meat: Lean cuts of chicken, beef, pork, lamb, or turkey.
Fish and seafood: Salmon, prawns, tuna, cod, and halibut.
Eggs: The majority of protein found in eggs are in the egg whites.
Dairy: Milk, kefir, Greek yogurt, cheese, or cottage cheese.
Legumes: Beans, lentils, and legumes.

Our High Protein range is a great place to start. These new picks are available in the Foodhall from 5 January:

High Protein Chicken Arrabbiata – With a whopping 44g of protein, we’ve stirred succulent chicken and tender roast vegetables through a spicy tomato sauce.
High Protein Chicken Tagine – This Moroccan-inspired tagine combines tender British chicken thighs with hearty grains and roasted vegetables.
High Protein Naked Chicken Katsu Salad – This naked salad contains 26g of protein and 14g of carbs, packed with roasted turmeric cauliflower rice, toasted sesame seeds, and a creamy katsu dressing.
High Protein Green Goddess Chicken Egg Wrap – We’ve wrapped British chicken with a tangy pickled slaw and fragrant green goddess dressing in a hearty egg wrap, with 26g of protein.

What to eat for gut health

High protein breakfast ideas

Fuel the rest of your day with a high protein breakfast, packed full of nutrients you need for sustained energy. Check out our favourite new arrivals in the Foodhall, available from 5 January:

High Protein Strawberry Matcha Overnight Oats – Your favourite drinks from the coffee shop just got turned into breakfast, packed full of matcha infused oats topped with high protein strawberry yogurt.
High Protein Shot – Add this smooth, chocolate shot to your breakfast. It's packed with 10g of protein, has no added sugar and is a source of magnesium.
High Protein Apple and Cinnamon Overnight Oats – With 13g of protein, these porridge oats are packed with dried apple, ground dates, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. They’re also high in fibre, too.
High Protein Honeycomb Yogurt – This thick, creamy yogurt, with a subtle touch of golden honey flavour, is low fat and contains 22g of protein.

Healthy breakfast ideas

High protein meals to make at home

Get inspired with our easy high protein ideas to whip up in the kitchen:

Caramelised onion and cheddar egg bites – Blend free-range eggs, fat-free cottage cheese and lighter extra mature cheddar, then pair with sweet and sticky onions.
Greens and pea pasta with cottage cheese – Cottage cheese delivers extra protein in this cosy pasta dish with vibrant greens.
Chicken bagels – Make a versatile chicken salad spiced with sumac, then pile high onto High Protein Bagels with leafy spinach.
Green goddess butter beans and grilled salmon – Roast Caledonian Gold salmon fillets with a zesty lemon-honey-Dijon glaze and serve over a bed of green goddess butter beans.

More high protein recipes

What are complete proteins?

"Complete proteins are those which include all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot make itself," says Sophia. "These include foods such a meat, fish and poultry, as well as yogurt, cheese and eggs. Other plant-based sources of protein may not be complete proteins, which is why eating a variety is so important to gain all the building blocks we need – for example, eating rice with pulses or peas."

Look out for time-saving new additions to our High Protein range, like our Liquid Whole Egg – ideal for speedy omelettes and pancakes. Or try our High Protein Cod, Scallop and Prawn Linguine, with wholewheat pasta and sundried tomatoes, for a quick dinner that packs in 30g protein.

Fish recipes Egg recipes

Vegetarian sources of protein

While most people may think of meat when it comes to protein, there are many sources of protein found in plants and vegetables. Plant-based proteins may not be complete sources of protein, so it's important to aim for variety when eating these – try serving beans and legumes with rice.

Our High Protein range has lots of plant-based options like our High Protein Bang Bang Cauliflower with creamy coconut and chilli sauce, and 21g protein per serving or our Smoky Bean and Egg pot with hearty haricot beans in a smoky chipotle sauce.

Other examples of plant-based proteins include:

Chickpeas
Lentils
Grains
Legumes
Beans
Pulses
Tofu

Vegetarian recipes

Ways to include protein in your diet

You may be wanting to increase your protein if you’re exercising heavily or to help you feel fuller for longer.

To boost your protein, try swapping out snacks like crisps or biscuits with high protein snacking options like our mature High Protein Cheddar Sticks (in store 5 January) or these moreish High Protein Spicy Sweet Chilli Popped Red Lentil Tortillas.
When cooking meals, replace some of your usual ingredients with high protein options like our High Protein Spaghetti or High Protein Tortilla Wraps.
Try some new meal ideas with our healthy recipes and look for dishes that feature proteins like meat, fish, eggs, or legumes.

Chicken recipes Bean recipes

How much protein do you need?

"The amount of protein we need is dependent on a number of factors, including life stages and body weight. Recommendations for the general population are 0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day for adults," says Sophia.

"In the UK, most people are getting the recommended amount. Young children, infants, breastfeeding women, and older adults require more. You may also require more protein in your diet if you are exercising more, as your body needs it to recover and repair."

Browse High Protein

Support your diet with M&S

Our Eat Well flower, which can be found on many products in our High Protein range, is a shortcut to making healthy, balanced choices during your weekly shop. The Eat Well guidelines have been developed in consultation with the British Nutrition Foundation, and it's our health seal of approval that you can trust. Any product that carries the Eat Well flower has a health benefit and supports a balanced diet. And the best bit? Because it’s from M&S, you can be sure any Eat Well product you choose will taste delicious too.

Discover Eat Well

Published 12.29.2025