SINGAPORE – As you might have inferred from the rows of high-protein smoothies lining supermarket shelves and the Hyrox craze sweeping social media, 2026 is all about gains. But “protein-maxxing” does not necessarily mean blending chicken breast or chugging chalky smoothies.
From two-ingredient cheesecakes to no-carb pizzas, The Straits Times tests four trending high-protein recipes to find out which to incorporate into your diet, and which to leave online.
First, how much protein do you really need? As Karthika Thirugnanam, a dietitian at private clinic Tucker Medical, notes, protein plays a central role in maintaining muscle mass, supporting metabolism, regulating appetite and aiding recovery. It also helps stabilise blood sugar levels and makes you feel full.
Most adults should aim for 20g to 40g of protein a meal, though the older you get, the more protein you need a meal, says Shania Khialani, a lecturer in Nanyang Polytechnic’s Diploma in Food Science & Nutrition programme.
“This is because as we grow older, the body undergoes a process called sarcopenia, which results in muscle loss and a blunted ability for the muscle to synthesise, as compared with younger muscle,” she adds.
But do not overdo it. Consuming excessive amounts of protein might lead to weight gain, as well as impact gut and kidney health.
“Too much protein can produce high levels of nitrogen and waste products that the kidneys must filter. This can place strain on the kidneys and potentially worsen pre-existing kidney disease,” Khialani says.
No need to start furiously tabulating your macros. Here is a simple way to estimate how much protein you are consuming: A palm-size portion of cooked meat, fish or poultry yields 20g to 30g of protein.
The protein estimates for other foods are as follows, says Thirugnanam: 15g to 20g for a cup of Greek yogurt; 12g for two eggs; 7g to 10g for half a cup of cooked lentils or beans; 6g to 9g for half a cup of seeds; and 6g to 7g for a quarter cup of mixed nuts.
So, she recommends replacing cream with Greek yogurt, and crackers with nuts.
Also, all meals should include a protein source, such as eggs, tofu, fish or poultry.
A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on vegetables helps, as does a glass of low-fat milk or less-sugar soya milk in between meals, says Khialani.
Cottage cheese beef bowl made by the writer.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
First, it was feta. Now, cottage cheese has been catapulted into the spotlight, beloved by TikTok culinary gurus for its high-protein and low-fat properties. More than 115,000 videos on the platform now bear the hashtag #cottagecheese, and the hype has reportedly resulted in a shortage in supermarkets, according to reports from Australia, the US and Canada.
In Singapore, it is less commonly used, stranger to home chefs and professionals alike. I cannot remember the last time I came across cottage cheese on a restaurant’s menu, so its subtle tang and curdy texture take some getting used to.
In this protein bowl, it balances out the meaty punchiness of minced beef. Three more components make up this recipe, which has gained considerable traction on TikTok: sliced avocado, roasted sweet potato and hot honey.
It is a fairly straightforward recipe – I use a modified version from American lifestyle website Jar of Lemons – which can be assembled in under 30 minutes and is perfect for hot days or when you are craving something light.
Khialani says it offers an excellent protein boost, but warns home cooks to look out for the saturated fat content, which can vary significantly depending on the beef cut. For better balance, Thirugnanam recommends throwing in some fibre-rich carbohydrates like whole grains or vegetables.
Ingredients for the cottage cheese beef bowl recipe.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
1 sweet potato (around 150g to 200g), cubed
2 tsp olive oil
A pinch of salt, pepper and cinnamon
150g minced beef
1 tsp tomato paste
½ tsp taco seasoning or spice mix
1 Tbs honey
A few drops of chilli oil
½ avocado
½ cup cottage cheese
Pre-heat oven to 220 deg C.
Mix cubed sweet potatoes with 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
Spread sweet potatoes over a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Meanwhile, add remaining oil to a pan and cook minced beef with tomato paste and spice mix over medium-high heat.
Mix honey and chilli oil to make hot honey.
Slice the avocado.
Assemble the bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, cooked minced beef, cottage cheese and avocado slices. Drizzle with hot honey and enjoy.
Makes one bowl
Melting cabbage with chicken made by the writer.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
This one is for the vegetable sceptics. A surefire way to make cabbage more palatable is to drench it in sauce and blast it in the oven until crisp.
I try to amp up its protein levels by tossing in some shredded chicken breast, which gives the sauce a robust, meaty quality, but hinders its Instagrammability – adulterated by chunks of beige meat, it does not pool as elegantly around the baked cabbage.
Underwhelming looks aside, this is a rich and savoury dish that I will be making again. Perhaps I will try swopping out butter and cream cheese for olive oil and Greek yogurt – a low-fat alternative suggested by Khialani.
Recipes for this viral dish are a dime a dozen on TikTok, but I am using one from American blog Low Carb Love, with some tweaks.
Ingredients for melting cabbage with chicken recipe.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
½ head of cabbage, cut into slices
1 Tbs olive oil
1 chicken breast
2 Tbs butter
½ onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
115g softened cream cheese
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
A drizzle of lemon juice
Pre-heat oven to 220 deg C.
Peel away outermost layer of cabbage and wash.
Cut into four slices.
Add ½ Tbs oil to a pan and brown cabbage on medium-high heat on both sides.
Transfer cabbage to oven-safe dish.
Pan-sear chicken breast with ½ Tbs oil until cooked through, then remove from the pan and shred.
Add butter, onion and garlic to the pan, and cook on medium heat until translucent and cooked through. Add cream cheese and chicken broth and whisk until combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add Parmesan cheese and whisk until sauce thickens.
Stir in shredded chicken breast.
Pour sauce over cabbage and bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until cabbage is cooked through.
Drizzle lemon juice over and serve.
Makes two servings
Caesar salad pizza with a chicken breast crust made by the writer.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
Swopping pizza dough for chicken feels a bit like killing two birds with one stone: protein-maxxing while cutting carbs. No wonder TikTok was hooked.
You can top this with pizza staples like tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni, or offset the meaty crust with something lighter and more refreshing. Referencing a recipe from American food website Iowa Girl Eats, I crown my ground chicken base with a Caesar salad.
Unfortunately, it tastes just as unappetising as it sounds, at once too dry and too watery, with none of the fluffiness or crunch that makes eating pizza so fun.
Thirugnanam calls it a less-than-ideal everyday option, potentially high in saturated fat and sodium, owing to the Caesar dressing and cheese.
At least it does not require a tonne of effort. Give it a go if you have 30 minutes to spare and are curious about how chicken mince might fare as pizza crust.
Ingredients for Caesar salad chicken breast pizza.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
For the crust:
1 egg
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp mixed herbs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
350g minced chicken
For the toppings:
½ head of romaine lettuce, chopped
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup Caesar salad dressing
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 220 deg C.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper or non-stick aluminium foil and set aside.
Mix egg, garlic powder, herbs, salt and pepper, and mix with a fork. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add ground chicken and mix well to combine.
Scoop the chicken mixture onto the prepared pan and spread it into a circle with a 28cm diameter.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through.
Set the crust aside to cool.
While the crust cools, toss the lettuce with sliced red onion and Caesar salad dressing.
Top the pizza with the dressed salad and Parmesan cheese, then serve.
“Pizza” base made with chicken breast.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
Makes one pizza
Three-ingredient no-bake cheesecake made by this writer.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
This one was all over my TikTok For You page earlier in 2026, and for good reason. It is utterly idiot-proof, requiring only two ingredients and about five minutes of work.
All you need are some Biscoff cookies and a cup of Greek yogurt. Stick the biscuits in the yogurt and pop that in the fridge. Return six hours later and, voila, you have a cheesecake.
Feeling fancy? Add a dollop of cream cheese. I had some left over from making the melting cabbage and found that it enhanced the richness of the cheesecake, which otherwise might have been a tad too tart.
“This is a calorie-dense option, but the protein content is excellent given that this is meant to be a treat,” says Khialani. She suggests adding fruits like strawberries to boost the fibre content of the dessert.
You might want to add a drizzle of honey if your Greek yogurt is plain. I used a honey-flavoured version from Australian brand Brownes Dairy, so no extra flavouring was needed.
Here is the recipe I referenced, adapted slightly from Canadian food website Okonomi Kitchen.
Ingredients for the cheesecake.
ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK
1 cup Greek yogurt, plain or flavoured
1 Tbs cream cheese
6 to 10 Biscoff cookies (depending on the size of your container)
Whisk Greek yogurt with cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Add mixture to a container.
Press cookies into the mixture, leaving around 0.5cm or 1cm of space between each cookie.
Cover and refrigerate for at least six hours or until set.
Scoop out of container, crumble crushed Biscoff over top of cheesecake and serve.
Makes one serving
Dining and Cooking