High Protein Foods: Ranked per 100 g and per 100 Calories

High protein foods have at least 10 g of protein in a reference serving, the cut-off behind a “high” claim on a US food label. The ranking depends on the yardstick. By weight, Parmesan leads with 35.8 g per 100 g. By calories, cooked shrimp leads with 24.2 g per 100 kcal. I ran 23 USDA records through both measures and added a third: how much of each food you need for 20 g of protein.

What are high protein foods?

The label rule decides. A US package may say “high” when a food has 20% or more of the Daily Value per reference amount, the standard serving the FDA sets for each food category. The protein Daily Value is 50 g, so 20% is 10 g. The rule also adjusts protein for quality, which I haven’t done here.

That floor is per serving, not per calorie. An ounce (28.35 g) of Parmesan clears it with 10.1 g, and so does a cup (220 g) of lowfat cottage cheese with 24.2 g. They are very different foods. It’s the US rule; other countries set their own.

Which high protein foods have the most protein per 100 g?

Parmesan, with 35.8 g. Next come beef jerky (33.2 g), braised chicken breast (32.1 g), dried pumpkin seed kernels (30.2 g) and broiled top sirloin (29.4 g). Those records are in the table below.

Part of this ranking is water. Parmesan holds 30.0 g of water per 100 g, jerky 23.4 g and pumpkin seed kernels 5.2 g. Chicken, shrimp and yogurt aren’t as dry. Braised chicken holds 65.3 g, cooked shrimp 74.3 g, and plain nonfat Greek yogurt 85.0 g. Dry foods pack more protein into the same weight, along with more calories.

Per 100 g compares two cuts of meat fairly. Put jerky next to yogurt and it mostly measures who lost more water.

Which high protein foods give the most protein per 100 calories?

Cooked shrimp, with 24.2 g, then Atlantic cod at 21.7 g and canned light tuna at 21.1 g. The table is a high protein foods list ranked by protein per 100 kcal, and it shows what that does to the per-weight order. Energy uses the Atwater specific factors where the record has them. Every row links to its own USDA record, and the last column divides 20 g by the protein per 100 g.

Food (state)	Protein per 100 g	Energy per 100 g	Protein per 100 kcal	Grams for 20 g of protein
Shrimp, cooked	24.0 g	99 kcal	24.2 g	83 g
Cod, Atlantic, cooked	22.8 g	105 kcal	21.7 g	88 g
Tuna, light, canned in water, drained	19.0 g	90 kcal	21.1 g	105 g
Chicken breast, braised	32.1 g	166 kcal	19.3 g	62 g
Pork tenderloin, roasted	26.2 g	143 kcal	18.3 g	76 g
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat	10.3 g	61 kcal	16.9 g	194 g
Beef top sirloin, broiled	29.4 g	178 kcal	16.5 g	68 g
Turkey breast, roasted, with skin	28.7 g	189 kcal	15.2 g	70 g
Ground beef 93% lean, broiled	26.2 g	193 kcal	13.6 g	76 g
Cottage cheese, lowfat 2%	11.0 g	84 kcal	13.1 g	182 g
Tofu, raw, firm	17.3 g	144 kcal	12.0 g	116 g
Salmon, Atlantic farmed, cooked	22.1 g	206 kcal	10.7 g	90 g
Edamame, frozen, prepared	11.9 g	121 kcal	9.8 g	168 g
Parmesan, hard	35.8 g	392 kcal	9.1 g	56 g
Egg, whole, large	12.4 g	147 kcal	8.4 g	161 g
Beef jerky	33.2 g	410 kcal	8.1 g	60 g
Lentils, boiled	9.0 g	116 kcal	7.8 g	222 g
Black beans, boiled	8.9 g	132 kcal	6.7 g	226 g
Pumpkin seed kernels, dried	30.2 g	559 kcal	5.4 g	66 g
Chickpeas, boiled	8.9 g	164 kcal	5.4 g	226 g
Peanuts, dry-roasted	24.4 g	587 kcal	4.1 g	82 g
Quinoa, boiled	4.4 g	120 kcal	3.7 g	455 g
Almonds, raw	21.2 g	579 kcal	3.7 g	95 g

The order barely resembles the per-weight one. Parmesan led by weight and lands 14th here. Chicken breast is third by weight and fourth by calories, so it’s near the top either way. Greek yogurt, at 10.3 g per 100 g, is sixth by calories because there’s so little else in it.

Twenty grams of protein costs 83 kcal in shrimp, 103 kcal in chicken breast and 219 kcal in Parmesan (20 ÷ 35.75 × 392). Nuts and seeds sit near the bottom. Their protein is real, but 20 g of it from dry-roasted peanuts means 82 g of nuts, and at 587 kcal per 100 g that adds up fast.

For a plain list, read the table from the top. Shrimp, cod, tuna, chicken, pork tenderloin and Greek yogurt give the most protein for the least energy, and high protein low calorie foods ranks that lean end in more detail.

Which high protein meats give the most per serving?

Braised chicken breast, with 27.3 g in 85 g (3 oz) cooked. I scaled each USDA record to the same 85 g so the meats compare. Fat gets the last column.

Meat or fish, 85 g (3 oz) cooked	Protein	Energy	Fat
Chicken breast, braised	27.3 g	141 kcal	2.8 g
Beef top sirloin, broiled	25.0 g	151 kcal	5.0 g
Turkey breast, roasted, with skin	24.4 g	161 kcal	6.3 g
Ground beef 93% lean, broiled	22.3 g	164 kcal	7.6 g
Pork tenderloin, roasted	22.2 g	122 kcal	3.0 g
Shrimp, cooked	20.4 g	84 kcal	0.2 g
Cod, Atlantic, cooked	19.4 g	89 kcal	0.7 g
Salmon, Atlantic farmed, cooked	18.8 g	175 kcal	10.5 g

Top sirloin has 25.0 g of protein for 151 kcal. A salmon fillet of the same weight has 18.8 g for 175 kcal, the lowest protein and the highest fat in the table.

Choose by what else you want from the plate. The table shows protein only.

Jerky and Parmesan come with a sodium price. Beef jerky has 1,785 mg of sodium per 100 g, about 506 mg in an ounce. Parmesan has 1,175 mg, about 333 mg in an ounce. They’re compact protein, so check the label. If you eat out, high protein fast food ranks 20 chain orders per 100 calories.

How do I increase my protein intake?

Put protein in every meal, and build up the lightest one first. The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say to prioritize protein foods at every meal. They set a goal of 1.2–1.6 g per kg of body weight a day, which for a 70 kg (154 lb) adult is 84–112 g. The range by body weight is laid out in how much protein should I eat a day.

To find your gap, total one ordinary day. Then add to the lightest meal. The table shows what 10 g of protein costs from nine common foods, a useful size for an add-on.

Add this for 10 g of protein	Grams	Energy
Canned light tuna, drained	53 g	47 kcal
Braised chicken breast	31 g	52 kcal
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt	97 g	59 kcal
Lowfat cottage cheese	91 g	76 kcal
Raw firm tofu	58 g	83 kcal
Parmesan	28 g	110 kcal
Boiled lentils	111 g	129 kcal
Large eggs	81 g (1.6 eggs)	119 kcal
Dry-roasted peanuts	41 g	241 kcal

Canned tuna and chicken add 10 g for under 55 kcal, while eggs need 119 kcal and peanuts 241 kcal. If calories are tight, pick from the top rows. If you need more energy, use the bottom ones, which is the logic behind high protein foods for weight gain.

To turn a daily target into grams for your own weight, use the protein calculator. It uses the same 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg range. With kidney disease, a doctor decides how much of these foods belongs in your day.

Pick your weakest meal. Add one 10 g item from the table.

In Calsa each meal shows its protein next to its calories, so the lightest meal of your day is easy to spot.