I Tried a High-Protein Meal Plan Crafted For Celebrities

For breakfast, I'd always tried to curb my sugar craving by adding frozen banana to a smoothie with oat milk and half a scoop of whey protein isolate powder ($78). However, LeVeque was quick to spot the issue that ultimately led me to a blood sugar spike, crash, and inevitable sugar craving. "When we look at that blender, you have two carbohydrates if you're having a banana and oat milk, so what that mostly is is a blood sugar spike. The protein breaks down to amino acids, not glucose, but there's no fat there at all," she pointed out. "You're not going to feel full for very long and you're probably going to need a snack or you'll be thinking about lunch around 11. You'll go, 'I need a piece of fruit, a yogurt, or avocado toast.'" (When paired with carbohydrates, both fat and protein help slow the body's digestion of the carbs to minimize blood sugar spikes, according to research in the Iranian Journal of Public Health.)

LeVeque's direction? Opt for less banana and put half an avocado in the smoothie instead, which breaks down to fatty acids rather than glucose and adds fiber. Then double the scoop of protein powder, to up the total to 50 grams of protein rather than 25, and add a handful of spinach or blueberries for color. "I'm looking for vibrancy, color, leafy greens, bright berries — something like that," she instructed, explaining, "Berries are low glycemic. They're not going to drive blood sugar up like bananas or oat milk. I would pull any type of concentrated carbohydrate out of breakfast and double down on the protein."

LeVeque also suggested buying grass-fed ground beef and pre-making meatballs, then warming a couple up for breakfast. As a mostly pescatarian, this was a totally new addition for me — and, given my newfound obsession with hot sauce, a delicious one. But for people who want to avoid red meat, turkey meatballs, tinned fish, or even a black bean-and-quinoa ball could be a good substitute.

After two full weeks of blending up LeVeque's suggested smoothie in my beloved Ninja Blast ($54, originally $60) and enjoying two meatballs around 10 a.m., I stayed full until roughly 2 p.m., when I started to think about lunch, rather than panic about it in a hangry state (which happened previously).

My go-to lunch has been Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt topped with plenty of fruit, seeds, nuts, a drizzle of honey or syrup, and nut butter for years. Why? It's quick to throw together when I'm starving, for one. But I also became accustomed to the sweetness. I started to crave peanut butter like an addiction, and something in my brain would trigger it was time to indulge right around 12 p.m.

LeVeque looked at the bowl and explained that the nuts are a fat source (with fiber from the seeds), but there are key parts of this bowl that lead to — you guessed it — a blood sugar spike. "The strawberries? Not our biggest issue. It's the drizzle," she told me. "The density of carbohydrates there is going to drive your blood sugar up and make you crave more sugar." There's nothing wrong with having a sweet tooth, but this cycle was causing me to have energy crashes a few hours after lunch, something I really wanted to escape.

Since I also love salads, LeVeque recommended a base of olive oil-massaged kale or spinach and plenty of veggies. In order to get me to the recommended 130 grams of protein a day, she suggested red meat (which is the most nutrient-dense per ounce when it comes to B vitamins, iron minerals, and omega threes), salmon, or tuna.

Truth be told, when I used to eat my yogurt bowl at noon, I was craving a snack by 3 p.m. But once I made this change, I was full all the way until 6 or 7 p.m. LeVeque explained why: "You're just under-fed in the morning. It feels exhausting to me if I'm being totally honest with you. You're getting to dinner and it's like survival a little bit. I'd rather you feel the opposite way."

Since I tended towards plant-based protein before, dinners usually consisted of a salad with air-fried tofu, veggies, cheese, a creamy drizzle of dressing, and either a chunk of bread or my favorite crackers that I noshed on while I cooked. This also came after an afternoon snack, which was usually an apple or something salty. LeVeque depicted my day like this: "Little spike, half crash, bigger spike, half crash, bigger spike, crash, crash — you are depleted of energy; you're starving and all you want is carbohydrates."

Of course, carbs aren't inherently bad. In fact, they're an essential macronutrient that deserve a place on our plates. So rather than cutting my carb intake, I was focusing on increasing my protein intake. (Good news, since I'm completely unwilling to give up my affinity for Trader Joe's Multiseed Soy Sauce Rice Crackers ($18).) In theory, this would help my body digest the carbs I was eating more slowly and potentially minimize the blood glucose swings I was experiencing.

As far as portion size when it comes to meat (which ranges from chicken and ground turkey to salmon, depending on what my partner and I are feeling), LeVeque suggested using my hands as a measuring tool. She instructed me to have the minimum size and thickness of the circle of my palm, but doubled. Two or three stacks of cards is another good visual reference.

"I want you to think about a big piece of salmon that you get at a restaurant, which is like maybe the size of your phone. But I want it to be maybe two inches in thickness. I want you to not be afraid of over-eating protein," she said.

LeVeque tended to recommend meat as a protein source, and I wasn't against adding a little more to my diet to see how it affected my energy and hunger levels throughout the day. But again, meat isn't essential for a high-protein lifestyle. Pairing plant-based protein sources is another great way to increase your intake of the macro.

If you need a portion reference for fats, LeVeque compared a tablespoon to the length of your thumb from the top to the wrist. "One to two tablespoons, or one to two thumbs, if you're using a drizzle."

Sarah Wasilak is the associate director of commerce at PS. With plenty of experience in the shopping market, a keen interest in SEO, and 10 years as an editor at the brand, she enjoys writing across the lifestyle and health-and-fitness categories. She has bylines at PS, InStyle, Elle, Refinery29, Who What Wear, Elite Daily, Byrdie, and The Quality Edit and aims to amplify minority voices in all her work.

Travel and expenses for the author were provided by Now Foods for the purpose of writing this story.