Small-appetite protein planner
Choose the foods you eat and a portion setting. The planner estimates how much of each food would provide the protein shown for that meal.
4 to 6 small plates.
98 g of protein across 5 small plates, about 20 g each
Each suggested portion below provides about the protein amount shown. Adjust the plan to your appetite and any individual advice you have received.
- Morning: Greek yoghurt 0%195 g raw20 g protein
- Mid-morning: Egg, whole160 g raw20 g protein
- Midday: Chicken breast, skinless90 g raw20 g protein
- Afternoon: Cottage cheese 2%190 g raw20 g protein
- Evening: Salmon, farmed100 g raw20 g protein
Portions are raw weights from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), rounded to 5 g, approximate, per 100 g raw (dry for grains and pulses). Cooked weight is lower for meat and fish, higher for grains. The finish is the same every plate: one sachet at the table, about 0.2 kcal a sachet (21 kcal per 100 g on the label, about 1 g a sachet).
Small plates, more flavour per bite
Find simple recipes and flavour ideas, then adjust the portions to suit you.
See the recipesHow this is calculated
Daily protein: 1.4 g/kg body weight, clamped to 80 to 120 g/day (Obesity Pillars 2025, protein during weight reduction). Per sitting: daily target divided by sittings, capped at 20 g for a small plate or 30 g for a medium one; the page flags any shortfall rather than hiding it.
Portions: grams of each food needed to deliver the per-sitting protein, from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018) per 100 g values, rounded to the nearest 5 g. Pranasalt is optional. A 1 g sachet adds about 0.2 kcal and 370 mg of sodium; it is not included in the planner totals.
- Obesity Pillars 2025, nutrition and weight reduction review (PMC12264624)
- Morton RW et al. BJSM 2018;52:376-384, per-meal protein dose
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018) - approximate, per 100 g raw (dry for grains and pulses)
Straight answers
Why split protein into small plates?+
If larger meals are hard to finish, smaller portions may be easier. This planner divides an estimated protein target across 4 to 6 sittings. Its 20 g and 30 g portion settings are planning options, not measures of what you can eat.
What if the plates do not add up to the target?+
The result shows the shortfall. You can try a different portion setting or number of sittings and compare the plan with the advice you have been given.
I am on medication that affects appetite. Is this for me?+
The arithmetic is general and does not know your situation. If you are under medical care or on medication that affects appetite, follow your clinician; use this only for the food-list part if they agree.
How is the daily target set?+
1.4 g per kilo of body weight, held inside an 80 to 120 g per day window, the range the 2025 Obesity Pillars review gives for protein during weight reduction. Age and sex do not move the number in this version.
Are the portions cooked or raw?+
Use raw weights for meat and fish, drained weight for canned tuna, and the amount as sold for dairy and tofu. Each food uses the preparation state in its USDA entry; cooked weights can differ.