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Protein in foods

What Are High-Protein Foods?

Ranked by how much of their calories come from protein, the measure that actually decides whether a food is lean and protein-dense. Not grams per serving, which just rewards a bigger portion.

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The 20 highest-protein foods

At least 40% of the calories in every food below come from protein. Tap any food for the full nutrition breakdown.

  1. 1Shrimp97%20.4 g per 3 oz cooked
  2. 2Canned Tuna88%28.8 g per 1 can, drained (4 oz)
  3. 3Cod88%39.1 g per 1 fillet (6 oz)
  4. 4Turkey Breast86%24.7 g per 3 oz cooked
  5. 5Egg Whites84%10.8 g per 3 egg whites
  6. 6Tilapia81%29.4 g per 1 fillet (4 oz)
  7. 7Whey Protein80%24.8 g per 1 scoop
  8. 8Crab78%16.2 g per 3 oz cooked
  9. 9Chicken Breast75%35 g per 1 breast (4 oz)
  10. 10Greek Yogurt68%15 g per 1 container (5.3 oz)
  11. 11Steak55%65.8 g per 8 oz steak
  12. 12Ground Turkey53%30.5 g per 4 oz cooked
  13. 13Cottage Cheese52%24.9 g per 1 cup (8 oz)
  14. 14Chicken Wings50%27 g per 3 wings
  15. 15Salmon49%42.5 g per 1 fillet (6 oz)
  16. 16Pork Chop48%31.6 g per 1 chop (4 oz)
  17. 17Tofu48%19.5 g per 1/2 block (4 oz)
  18. 18Chicken Thigh48%21.3 g per 1 thigh (3 oz)
  19. 19Ground Beef42%29.4 g per 4 oz cooked
  20. 20Tempeh41%16.9 g per 3 oz

Hit your protein without the math

Scoop logs your meals by photo, voice, or barcode, and counts the protein toward a target set for your body.

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Solid protein contributors

These fall short of the high-protein bar on their own, but they still add real protein to a meal. Worth combining with a leaner source above rather than relying on alone.

  1. 1Edamame39%18.4 g per 1 cup shelled
  2. 2Mozzarella38%6.7 g per 1 oz
  3. 3Egg35%6.3 g per 1 large egg
  4. 4String Cheese33%6.7 g per 1 stick
  5. 5Lentils31%17.8 g per 1 cup cooked
  6. 6Bacon27%5.9 g per 2 slices
  7. 7Milk27%8.3 g per 1 cup (8 fl oz)
  8. 8Black Beans27%15.3 g per 1 cup cooked
  9. 9Cheddar Cheese25%7 g per 1 slice (1 oz)
  10. 10Chickpeas22%14.6 g per 1 cup cooked
  11. 11Peanut Butter17%8 g per 2 tbsp
  12. 12Pasta15%8.1 g per 1 cup cooked
  13. 13Quinoa15%8.1 g per 1 cup cooked
  14. 14Almonds15%5.9 g per 1 oz (23 almonds)
  15. 15Oats14%5.3 g per 1/2 cup dry
  16. 16Cashews13%5.1 g per 1 oz
FAQ

High-protein foods, answered

Foods where a large share of the calories come from protein rather than carbs or fat. As a rule of thumb, if at least 40% of a food's calories come from protein, it counts as high protein. That share, not the raw gram count, is what makes a food lean and protein-dense.

Among common whole foods, lean seafood and skinless poultry tend to top the list, since they carry almost no carbs and very little fat. See the ranked list above for exact figures.

Complete proteins from meat, fish, eggs, dairy and soy are the strongest choices, since they supply all nine essential amino acids your muscles need to rebuild. The list above marks every complete protein.

Yes. Tofu, tempeh and edamame all score as high protein here, and soy is a complete protein like meat, fish and dairy. Most other plant foods (beans, lentils, grains, nuts) are real contributors but fall just short of the high-protein bar on their own.