• Eating a protein-rich diet can help you reach your weight-loss goals, according to dietitians.
• Salmon and shrimp can bulk up a meal, and black beans are great for plant-based diets. 
• Opt for quinoa or whole-grain loaves over white bread, and try adding low-fat dairy to your diet. 

If you're struggling to lose weight, it may be time to focus on what you're eating instead of just how much is on your plate. 

Most nutrition experts recommend a protein-rich diet, so Business Insider asked dietitians to share their favorite high-protein foods for weight loss.

Here's what they said. 

Peanut butter is full of protein and "healthy" fats.

Peanut butter is low in carbs, and it can be a great source of protein and "healthy" fats. 

"My favorite high-protein food for weight loss is peanut butter," registered dietitian nutritionist Rebecca Stib told BI. "Per a serving, which is typically 2 tablespoons, you'll get about 8 grams of protein."

Start your day with some nutrient-dense eggs.

"Eggs are a great food for weight loss," registered dietitian Jenn Fillenworth told BI.

They're full of vitamins and minerals, and one egg contains about 6 grams of high-quality protein, with all of the essential amino acids.

Incorporate salmon into your diet.

"One of my absolute favorite foods for weight loss is salmon," Fillenworth told BI.

Although salmon is a fatty fish, she explained that eating the right kind of fat doesn't necessarily mean you're going to gain weight.

The fish contains essential omega-3 fatty acids, which you have to get from your diet since the human body can't produce them.

Black beans are a great plant-based protein for weight loss.

"My favorite plant-based protein for weight loss is the black bean," Fillenworth said.

She told BI that in addition to being high in protein, black beans are also high in fiber, so they can help relieve constipation and bloating — which could be attributed to some weight gain.

Opt for low-calorie, lean meats like chicken breasts.

"When looking for the best high-protein foods for weight loss, think low-calorie and high-quality ingredients," registered dietitian Sabrina Russo told BI.

She said the first things that come to mind are lean meat, poultry, and fish. These are all great sources of complete protein with little carbs and fat. 

Try switching from white to whole-grain carbs.

"High-protein seeds and whole-grain products are another great option," Russo told BI.  

Try incorporating whole-grain pasta or high-protein crackers into your diet, as these grains help keep you full without as many calories as processed white carbs.

Eat low-fat dairy products.

"Low-fat dairy products are also examples of high-protein foods that may be beneficial for weight loss," Russo said.

She suggested opting for plain, low- or fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese. You can also enjoy plain yogurt with fresh berries for some natural sweetness.

Add some cottage cheese to your diet.

"At 23 grams of protein per cup and less than 200 calories, this protein-rich dairy product is a great addition to any meal," registered dietitian Staci Gulbin told BI.

A cup of lower-fat cottage cheese with 1% milk fat can even have around 28 grams of protein.

Although a serving of cottage cheese is fairly high in sodium, you can look for low-sodium or no-added-sodium brands. 

Use quinoa as an alternative to rice or pasta.

"This gluten-free seed is a delicious and healthy alternative to rice or pasta," Gulbin told BI.

A serving contains about 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of gut-friendly fiber.

Nuts are another great plant-based protein option.

"Nuts are a great portable and nutritious addition to any healthy lifestyle plan," Gulbin told BI.

Almonds, pistachios, and peanuts average around 6 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving with about 3 grams of gut-friendly fiber.

Add shrimp to your shopping list.

"Shrimp is an extremely low-calorie filling protein," registered dietitian Summer Yule said.

It's also an excellent source of iodine, which we need to support our thyroid health and manage our metabolism.

This story was originally published in February 2019 and most recently updated on January 13, 2025.

Read More:

• 3 myths about protein that you need to stop believing
• How to tell if you're getting enough protein
• 13 protein-rich snacks and meal swaps that will boost your diet to the next level
• The best high-protein desserts, according to dietitians

It is unclear what Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s day one priorities will be if he is confirmed to be the next Health and Human Services Secretary, but diet and nutrition experts suggest Kennedy could effectuate changes on a number of different fronts when it comes to healthy eating. These potential reforms might include overhauling school lunch programs, establishing new standards for seed oils and ultra-processed foods, setting limits on toxins, and more.  

Kennedy, who wants to "Make America Healthy Again," has been a staunch advocate for reforms to the food industry and President-elect Donald Trump has said he will have permission to "go wild on health" if he is confirmed.

One major opening for Kennedy would be overseeing a revision of the federal government's "Dietary Guidelines for Americans," one of the most powerful tools in terms of shaping public perception about what is healthy. The guidelines must be revised every five years and the deadline for the next update arrives in 2025. Kennedy, if confirmed, would ultimately be in charge of hiring the experts who draft the guidelines.

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"I know that they really want to focus on kids," Nina Teicholz, nutrition expert and founder of The Nutrition Coalition, told Fox News Digital. 

Teicholz, who has been in discussions with Kennedy's team about the new national dietary guidelines, suggested that he could potentially use them to implement changes to school lunches, such as adding a limit on sugar, for which Teicholz said there currently is none, and bringing back whole milk to school cafeterias, which was prohibited under the Obama administration. 

The addition of whole milk to school cafeterias could limit how frequently children consume high-sugar, flavored-milk beverages, Teicholz said. She also pointed out that current recommendations that are keeping whole milk out of schools "is based on the saturated fat content in milk, but there's really no good evidence to show that saturated fats have any negative effect on children."

"I think that Kennedy has aimed to stand for evidence-based changes to policy," Teicholz said. "So, that means not making policy based on weak science."

Teicholz added that in addition to school lunches, there is other "low-hanging fruit" associated with the guidelines that Kennedy could go after. 

Kennedy could use the guidelines to narrow the definition of ultra-processed foods, she pointed out, which is a sector of the food industry that Kennedy has previously been critical of. Teicholz also said that research on "ultra-processed foods" is scant, and, therefore, you could see Kennedy commissioning more studies on such foods as well.

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Dave Asprey, an author and nutrition advocate who has written several New York Times best-selling books about healthier eating, said he thinks it is likely Kennedy will also add toxin limits within the new dietary guidelines, aimed at pesticides and herbicides that have come under scrutiny. He also said he wouldn't be surprised if Kennedy and his team were to implement new standards around animal feed.

Asprey added that Kennedy's experience as a trial lawyer could aid him tremendously in initiating legal proceedings if he wanted to pursue companies that "are continuing to push outdated, unhealthy guidelines."

"Where can he actually impact real change? The dietary guidelines – because they control how we feed our kids, what we do in hospitals and a lot of our public policy," Asprey said.

Kennedy has recently been courting support for his nomination on Capitol Hill, and, according to GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Kennedy told him that he would exercise restraint and use a light touch when seeking to regulate the food and agriculture industries.

But, according to Mara Fleishman, CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, a healthy-eating nonprofit, the Trump administration's desire for a more limited-government approach to governing could clash with Kennedy's efforts to reform the food industry.

"I think time will tell what – if anything – RFK Jr. can, or will, do," Fleishman said.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Kennedy but did not receive a response.

Billionaire entrepreneur and top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, touted that he has reaped the benefits of a controversial class of weight-loss drugs, after fellow top Trump adviser, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the trendy new class of drugs is bad for Americans' health. 

"Ozempic Santa" Musk posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Christmas Day, alongside an image of himself in front of a well-decorated Christmas tree dressed as Santa Claus — but without his signature big belly. "Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!"

In a follow-up post, Musk clarified that he is taking the brand-name version called Mounjaro, but said the clunky name didn't "have the same ring to it."

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Musk has been tapped by Trump — along with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — to head the soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at cutting down on wasteful government spending and red tape. Meanwhile, Kennedy is Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and, if confirmed, Trump has given Kennedy permission to "go wild on health" as long as he doesn't interfere with Trump's domestic energy goals.

Musk's social media post over the holidays turned heads, considering Kennedy has expressed opposition to semaglutide. Originally developed as a diabetes medication, semaglutide has been used more widely in recent years for its appetite-suppressing effects.

"There's a huge push to sell this to the American people," Kennedy said of the semaglutide medication Ozempic when asked about his thoughts on the medication in October by Fox News' Greg Gutfeld. "They make this drug in Denmark, and in Denmark they do not recommend it for diabetes, or for obesity. They recommend dietary and behavioral changes." 

"They're counting on selling it to Americans because we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs," Kennedy added. He also concluded that the U.S. could solve the obesity crisis in America "overnight" if they just had access to, and ate, better quality food.

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Kennedy has run on a platform to "Make America Healthy Again," but Ozempic, he says, will not help in those efforts. Musk, however, has said that "nothing would do more to improve public health" than making Ozempic more widely available.

During President Joe Biden's final days in office, his administration proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for semaglutides to make them more widely available for those who want to reap the weight-losing benefits of the drug.   

Besides Musk, Kennedy could also potentially clash with Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has also expressed support for drugs like Ozempic. 

"I think the amount of good done by these medications by helping people lose weight and improve their cardiovascular system — and it might have long-term benefits in a lot of other areas as well, where obesity causes inflammation — is massive," Oz said last year in a video posted to his Instagram account.

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Kennedy, who very well could become Oz's boss if they are both approved by the Senate, appeared to scale back his criticism of the new weight-loss drug amid his efforts to court support for his nomination from members of Congress.

"The first line of response should be lifestyle. It should be eating well, making sure that you don't get obese," Kennedy said during a quick interview with CNBC on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, before adding that anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic "have a place" in the American medical community.  

Representatives for Musk, Kennedy and the Trump transition team did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital for this story.