The Best High-Protein Foods (Per 100 g and Per Serving)

Hitting a protein goal is much easier when every meal is built around a food that actually delivers. This guide lists the best high-protein foods with realistic numbers per 100 g and per typical serving, covering meat, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes and tofu, plus the cheapest ways to get your grams.

Meat and poultry

Lean meats are the densest common protein sources. Cooked values per 100 g: chicken breast about 31 g, turkey breast about 30 g, lean beef about 26 to 28 g, pork loin about 27 g. A normal 120 to 150 g cooked portion of chicken breast delivers 37 to 46 g of protein, which can cover a third to half of many people's daily target in one meal.

Fish and seafood

Fish is comparable to meat in protein and often quicker to prepare. Per 100 g cooked: tuna about 29 g, salmon about 25 g, cod about 23 g, shrimp about 24 g. A standard can of tuna in water (about 110 g drained) gives roughly 25 g of protein for very little money, which is why canned fish is a staple for budget-minded lifters.

Eggs and dairy

• Eggs: about 13 g per 100 g, roughly 6 to 7 g per large egg
• Greek yogurt (plain, low fat): about 10 g per 100 g, about 17 g per 170 g pot
• Skyr and quark: about 11 to 12 g per 100 g
• Cottage cheese: about 11 g per 100 g, about 22 g per 200 g serving
• Milk: about 3.4 g per 100 ml, about 10 g per large glass
• Hard cheese: about 25 g per 100 g, though calorie-dense

Legumes, tofu and other plant sources

Plant proteins work well, especially in larger portions and combinations. Cooked values per 100 g: lentils about 9 g, chickpeas about 9 g, black beans about 9 g, edamame about 11 g, firm tofu about 8 to 12 g depending on firmness, tempeh about 19 g, seitan about 21 to 25 g. A 200 g serving of lentils gives about 18 g, and a 200 g block of firm tofu about 17 to 24 g. Mixing legumes with grains gives a complete amino acid profile across the day.

The most cost-effective protein

Per gram of protein, the cheapest options in most stores are dried lentils and beans, eggs, canned tuna or sardines, milk, cottage cheese, frozen chicken and plain Greek yogurt or quark. Whey powder is also competitive on price per gram if you use it. Building your shopping list around three or four of these staples makes a high-protein week both cheap and simple.

Putting the list to work

You do not need to memorize a nutrition database. Pick one protein anchor per meal from the lists above, then log the grams in Protein Tracker with one tap for common foods. Not sure what your daily target should be? Start with our guide on how much protein you need per day.