One of the most underrated benefits of high-protein meals? They support your metabolism—without you even trying. It’s called the thermic effect of food (TEF). Your body burns calories just to digest what you eat. And protein takes the most effort to break down: 🔹 Protein: 20–30% TEF 🔹 Carbohydrates: 5–10% 🔹 Fats: 0–3% So if you eat 100 calories of protein, your body may only absorb 70–80 of them—because the rest is burned during digestion. That’s part of why protein-rich meals are so powerful