High Protein Foods: A Complete List With Grams Per Serving

Most protein food lists show values per 100g. The problem: nobody eats exactly 100g of chicken, and comparing a 100g portion of cottage cheese to 100g of tempeh does not reflect how these foods actually appear on a plate.

This article shows protein per typical serving size alongside the per-100g value, plus a protein efficiency column — grams of protein per 100 kcal — which allows meaningful comparison between foods with very different calorie densities. All values are sourced from the USDA FoodData Central database and apply to cooked weights unless noted.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The population RDA of 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is a minimum adequate intake for general health maintenance — it was not derived from body composition research and is consistently below what studies show is optimal for preserving or building muscle mass.

For adults with body composition goals, research supports the following ranges:

• Fat loss with muscle preservation: 1.6–2.4 g/kg body weight per day
• Muscle gain (with resistance training): 1.6–2.2 g/kg per day
• General maintenance: 1.2–1.6 g/kg per day
• Older adults (over 65): 1.2–2.0 g/kg per day — higher intakes help counter age-related muscle loss

For a 70 kg person aiming for fat loss, this translates to approximately 112–168g of protein per day. The Macro Calculator generates a personalised protein target based on your body weight and goal, while How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day covers the evidence behind these ranges in detail.

Meat and Poultry

Poultry — particularly chicken and turkey breast — provides the highest protein-to-calorie ratio among common meat sources because of its low fat content. Red meat provides comparable protein per 100g but with more calories from fat, reducing efficiency for those managing calorie intake.

A 150g cooked chicken breast starts as roughly 200g raw — meat loses approximately 25–30% of its weight as water during cooking. Tracking cooked weight is more practical since that is what ends up on a plate.

Fish and Seafood

Seafood provides some of the highest protein efficiency values of any food category. White fish (cod, tilapia) and shellfish (shrimp) are particularly efficient because they are very low in fat. Fatty fish (salmon, sardines) have lower protein efficiency but provide omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that are largely absent from other protein sources.

Dairy and Eggs

Dairy proteins (whey and casein) are considered "complete" proteins — they contain all nine essential amino acids in proportions that closely match human muscle tissue requirements. Greek yogurt, skyr, and cottage cheese have undergone straining or fermentation that concentrates protein while reducing lactose, making them particularly high in protein relative to their calorie content.

Whole eggs have a lower protein efficiency than egg whites because of yolk fat content, but the yolk provides fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), choline, and cholesterol — which is not the dietary hazard it was once considered. Research over the past two decades has consistently failed to link moderate egg consumption (up to 1–2 per day) with cardiovascular risk in healthy adults. Using a combination of whole eggs and egg whites is a common approach that balances nutrition with protein efficiency.

Plant-Based Protein Sources

Plant proteins generally provide less protein per calorie than animal sources and are often lower in one or more essential amino acids — most commonly leucine (critical for muscle protein synthesis) or lysine. Tempeh is the most notable exception: its protein content is comparable to some animal sources, and fermentation improves digestibility and amino acid availability.

Seitan (made from wheat gluten) is unusual among plant sources — its protein efficiency approaches that of chicken breast. Values vary considerably by recipe and brand; figures in the table above reflect a typical commercial preparation (USDA FoodData Central does not have a standardized seitan entry). It is not suitable for people with coeliac disease or wheat sensitivity, and it is lysine-deficient, so pairing it with legumes across the day is a practical approach for those using it as a primary protein source.

For plant-based diets, research consistently shows that meeting total protein targets (1.6–2.0 g/kg/day) and varying sources across the day compensates for individual amino acid limitations. The practical implication: it is less important which plant protein is eaten at a given meal and more important that total daily protein across all sources is sufficient.

Protein Efficiency: The Column That Changes the Comparison

The "g per 100 kcal" column in the tables above tells you how much protein a food delivers relative to its calorie cost — a useful metric when comparing foods with very different fat or carbohydrate content.

General reference ranges:

• Above 15 g per 100 kcal — highly efficient protein sources; useful when managing a calorie deficit
• 10–15 g per 100 kcal — moderate efficiency; contributes meaningfully to protein targets
• Below 10 g per 100 kcal — lower efficiency; still valuable nutritionally but calories come primarily from fat or carbohydrate

The most protein-efficient foods in this list are shrimp (24.2 g/100 kcal), tuna (22.2 g/100 kcal), and cod (21.5 g/100 kcal). For someone in a calorie deficit, these sources allow high protein intake while leaving more calorie budget for vegetables, fats, and carbohydrates.

Practical Notes on Using This List

Raw vs cooked weight

Protein content does not change during cooking — heat denatures protein structure but preserves amino acid content. What changes is weight: raw chicken breast loses roughly 25–30% of its weight during cooking as water evaporates. The tables in this article use cooked weights, which reflects what you would weigh on a kitchen scale after preparation.

Tracking protein across the day

Research on muscle protein synthesis suggests that distributing protein intake across three to four meals (rather than consuming most of it in one sitting) produces a stronger anabolic response. A practical target is 30–40g of protein per meal for adults in a fat-loss or muscle-building phase, which the tables above suggest is achievable from a single serving of chicken, fish, or a combination of dairy and eggs. The Macro Tracking Guide covers practical methods for tracking protein intake across the day.

Combining plant sources

Earlier nutritional guidance recommended combining complementary plant proteins (e.g., rice and beans) at the same meal to achieve a "complete" amino acid profile. Current evidence indicates this is unnecessary within a single meal — the body maintains an amino acid pool that allows complementation across the day. Eating a varied diet that includes legumes, grains, and soy-based foods across meals is sufficient.