High-Protein Foods

Rule: At least 30% of calories come from protein (protein grams × 4 ÷ kcal).

These are the foods on this site where protein supplies at least 30% of total calories — a mix of lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy, and a couple of plant sources like tofu and edamame. That's a useful cut for anyone assembling a day around a specific gram target, since it separates foods that move a protein number efficiently from foods that happen to contain some protein alongside a lot of something else. It isn't a ranking of which food is "best" — a food missing this list can still be a perfectly reasonable protein source, it just supplies a smaller share of its calories that way.

• Crustaceans, shrimp, raw

  72 kcal · 17g protein per 3 oz, raw (about 12 large)

• Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, without salt, drained

  99 kcal · 22g protein per 3 oz, drained (about half a can)

• Turkey, whole, breast, meat only, raw

  128 kcal · 26g protein per 4 oz, raw

• Chicken breast, raw, skinless, boneless

  206 kcal · 39g protein per 1 medium breast, raw

• Pork, fresh, loin, top loin, boneless, lean only, raw

  148 kcal · 25g protein per 4 oz, raw

• Yogurt, Greek, plain, lowfat

  124 kcal · 17g protein per 1 container (6 oz)

• Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat

  92 kcal · 12g protein per 1/2 cup

• Spinach, raw

  7 kcal · 1g protein per 1 cup, raw

• Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water

  2 kcal · 0g protein per 1 cup, brewed

• Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate

  181 kcal · 22g protein per 1/2 block

• Edamame, frozen, prepared

  188 kcal · 18g protein per 1 cup

• Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw

  320 kcal · 31g protein per 1 fillet, raw

• Cheese, mozzarella, part skim milk

  71 kcal · 7g protein per 1 oz

• Egg, whole, raw, fresh

  72 kcal · 6g protein per 1 large egg

• Beef, ground, 85% lean / 15% fat, raw

  243 kcal · 21g protein per 4 oz, raw

• Kale, raw

  23 kcal · 2g protein per 1 cup, chopped

• Broccoli, raw

  31 kcal · 3g protein per 1 cup, chopped

• Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt

  230 kcal · 18g protein per 1 cup, cooked

No foods currently in the database meet this rule.

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