High-protein foods: protein per 100 g compared
Quick answer: per 100 g, cooked chicken breast has the most protein of the everyday foods below, at about 31 g. Canned tuna, peanuts and cheddar cheese follow at roughly 25 g each. Beans and lentils have less per 100 g, but they are inexpensive and high in fiber.
Protein per 100 g, highest first
Values are approximate USDA figures for the food in the form shown.
| Food (100 g) | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, roasted, skinless | about 31 g | about 165 |
| Peanuts, raw | about 26 g | about 567 |
| Tuna, light, canned in water, drained | about 25.5 g | about 116 |
| Cheddar cheese | about 25 g | about 403 |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked | about 22 g | about 206 |
| Almonds | about 21 g | about 579 |
| Egg, whole, raw | about 12.6 g | about 143 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | about 10 g | about 59 |
| Lentils, cooked | about 9 g | about 116 |
| Black beans, cooked | about 9 g | about 132 |
How to read this table fairly
Water changes everything. Cooked lentils and beans have absorbed water, so 100 g of them looks low. Dry lentils have about 24 g of protein per 100 g. The same is true for meat, which gets more concentrated when cooked.
Compare protein per calorie, not just per gram. Peanuts and almonds have as much protein as many meats per 100 g, but more than three times the calories because they are rich in fat. Tuna in water gives about 22 g of protein per 100 calories. Peanuts give about 4.5 g.
Think about portions. Nobody eats 100 g of almonds in one sitting. A 28 g handful gives about 6 g of protein. A tin of tuna (drained, about 110 g) gives about 28 g.
Building a 30 g protein meal
- About 100 g of cooked chicken breast
- About five large eggs
- About 115 g of drained canned tuna
- About 330 g of cooked lentils (roughly 1.5 to 2 cups)
Protein needs
How much protein you need depends on your age, size, activity and health. General guidance for adults is about 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight per day, and some people, such as older adults or athletes, are advised to eat more. For personal advice, speak to a doctor or registered dietitian. This site gives general information only.
Look up any food in our nutrition facts to see its protein per 100 g and per serving.