High-Protein Foods Ranked by Calories
The short answer
Per calorie, the leanest seafood and poultry come out on top: cooked shrimp gives about 24 g of protein per 100 calories, light tuna canned in water about 23, and roast turkey breast and cod about 22. Nonfat Greek yogurt (17), tofu (12) and eggs (8) follow. Beans and lentils give 5 to 8 g per 100 calories, and nuts and nut butters 2 to 5.
The figures below come from the USDA’s FoodData Central (SR Legacy), the data behind our food calorie lookup. To see how much protein you need in total, use the protein calculator.
How the ranking works
“High protein” can mean two things: a lot of protein in a serving, or a lot of protein for the calories. This list ranks by the second, because that is what matters when you are watching calories.
Protein per 100 calories = grams of protein per 100 g ÷ calories per 100 g × 100
Chicken breast, roasted, has 31.02 g of protein and 165 calories per 100 g. 31.02 ÷ 165 × 100 = 18.8 g of protein per 100 calories.
The number is the same whatever the portion, so a small and a large serving of the same food score alike. It is a ratio, not a verdict: it says nothing about fiber, fat type, sodium or price.
The ranking
Portions are USDA’s household portions. Calories are rounded to the nearest whole number and protein to 0.1 g.
| Rank | Food | Portion | Calories | Protein | Protein per 100 cal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shrimp, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 84 | 20.4 g | 24.2 g |
| 2 | Tuna, light, canned in water, drained | 1 can (165 g) | 142 | 32.1 g | 22.6 g |
| 3 | Turkey breast, roasted | 3 oz (85 g) | 116 | 25.1 g | 21.7 g |
| 4 | Cod, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 89 | 19.4 g | 21.7 g |
| 5 | Crab, blue, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 71 | 15.2 g | 21.5 g |
| 6 | Lobster, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 76 | 16.2 g | 21.3 g |
| 7 | Egg white | 1 large (33 g) | 17 | 3.6 g | 21.0 g |
| 8 | Tilapia, cooked | 1 fillet (87 g) | 111 | 22.8 g | 20.4 g |
| 9 | Chicken breast, roasted, no skin | ½ breast (86 g) | 142 | 26.7 g | 18.8 g |
| 10 | Scallops, steamed | 3 oz (85 g) | 94 | 17.5 g | 18.5 g |
| 11 | Pork tenderloin, roasted | 3 oz (85 g) | 122 | 22.2 g | 18.3 g |
| 12 | Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 1 container (170 g) | 100 | 17.3 g | 17.3 g |
| 13 | Pork chop, lean, broiled | 3 oz (85 g) | 153 | 22.7 g | 14.9 g |
| 14 | Wild salmon, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 155 | 21.6 g | 14.0 g |
| 15 | Chicken thigh, roasted, no skin | 1 thigh (116 g) | 208 | 28.7 g | 13.8 g |
| 16 | Ribeye steak, lean only | 3 oz (85 g) | 176 | 23.8 g | 13.5 g |
| 17 | Ground turkey, 93% lean | 3 oz (85 g) | 181 | 23.0 g | 12.7 g |
| 18 | Tofu, firm | ¼ block (81 g) | 117 | 14.0 g | 12.0 g |
| 19 | Sardines, canned in oil | 1 can (92 g) | 191 | 22.7 g | 11.8 g |
| 20 | Cottage cheese | 4 oz (113 g) | 111 | 12.6 g | 11.3 g |
| 21 | Farmed salmon, cooked | 3 oz (85 g) | 175 | 18.8 g | 10.7 g |
| 22 | Ground beef, 85% lean | 3 oz (85 g) | 213 | 22.0 g | 10.4 g |
| 23 | Skim milk | 1 cup | 83 | 8.3 g | 9.9 g |
| 24 | Edamame | 1 cup | 188 | 18.5 g | 9.8 g |
| 25 | Boiled egg | 1 large (50 g) | 78 | 6.3 g | 8.1 g |
| 26 | Lentils, boiled | 1 cup | 230 | 17.9 g | 7.8 g |
| 27 | Mozzarella, whole milk | 1 oz | 85 | 6.3 g | 7.4 g |
| 28 | Black beans, boiled | 1 cup | 227 | 15.2 g | 6.7 g |
| 29 | Cheddar cheese | 1 oz | 114 | 6.5 g | 5.7 g |
| 30 | Chickpeas, boiled | 1 cup | 269 | 14.5 g | 5.4 g |
| 31 | Pumpkin seeds, dried | 1 oz | 159 | 8.6 g | 5.4 g |
| 32 | Peanuts, raw | 1 oz | 161 | 7.3 g | 4.6 g |
| 33 | Almonds | 1 oz (23 kernels) | 164 | 6.0 g | 3.7 g |
| 34 | Peanut butter, smooth | 2 tbsp | 191 | 7.1 g | 3.7 g |
The pattern is fat. Shrimp, white fish, egg whites and skinless poultry have almost none, so nearly all their calories come from protein. Fattier cuts, cheese, nuts and seeds carry more calories per gram of protein. Beans and lentils sit in the middle because they also bring carbohydrate, including fiber.
Calories to get 30 g of protein
The same ratio, turned around, shows what 30 g of protein “costs” in calories. Each figure is 30 ÷ protein per 100 g × calories per 100 g.
| Food | Calories for 30 g of protein | About how much |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp, cooked | 124 | 4.4 oz (125 g) |
| Tuna, light, canned in water | 133 | 0.9 of a can |
| Chicken breast, roasted | 160 | 3.4 oz (97 g) |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 174 | 1.7 containers |
| Tofu, firm | 250 | about half a block (174 g) |
| Cottage cheese | 264 | 9.5 oz (270 g) |
| Farmed salmon, cooked | 280 | 4.8 oz (136 g) |
| Ground beef, 85% lean | 289 | 4.1 oz (116 g) |
| Boiled eggs | 370 | about 4¾ large eggs |
| Lentils, boiled | 386 | 1⅔ cups |
| Black beans, boiled | 447 | 2 cups |
| Cheddar cheese | 529 | 4.6 oz (131 g) |
| Peanut butter | 808 | about 8½ tbsp |
| Almonds | 821 | 5 oz (142 g) |
The gap is large. Getting 30 g of protein from almonds takes about five times the calories of getting it from chicken breast. That does not make almonds a poor food; it makes them a poor main protein source if calories are tight.
Worked example: 100 g of protein in under 800 calories
Say your goal is about 100 g of protein a day. Here is one way to reach it with foods from the table:
- Breakfast: 1 container nonfat Greek yogurt (17.3 g, 100 calories) and 2 boiled eggs (12.6 g, 155 calories).
- Lunch: 1 can light tuna in water (32.1 g, 142 calories) and 1 cup of lentils (17.9 g, 230 calories).
- Dinner: ½ roasted chicken breast (26.7 g, 142 calories).
Protein: 17.3 + 12.6 + 32.1 + 17.9 + 26.7 = 106.6 g. Calories from these foods: 100 + 155 + 142 + 230 + 142 = 769. That leaves room for vegetables, grains, fruit and fats within a typical calorie target, which the calorie calculator can estimate for you.
For comparison, the FDA’s Daily Value for protein on food labels is 50 g a day. Many adults aim higher. The protein calculator works out a personal range from your weight, age and activity, with the sources for each guideline.
Things the ranking does not show
- Raw versus cooked. Meat loses water as it cooks, so it has more protein and calories per 100 g cooked than raw. Raw chicken breast is 22.5 g of protein and 120 calories per 100 g; roasted it is 31.02 g and 165 calories. The ratio barely moves (18.8 either way), but weigh and log foods in the state you weigh them.
- Preparation. Frying, breading, sauces and skin add calories without adding much protein. A fried egg is 90 calories against 78 for a boiled one, with the same 6.3 g of protein.
- The rest of the food. Lentils, black beans and chickpeas bring 12.5 to 15.6 g of fiber per cup; tuna and chicken bring none. Fatty fish bring fat that lean fish do not. A good plan mixes several of these foods rather than living at the top of the table.
- Packaged versions. Flavored yogurts, deli meats and canned foods vary by brand. For a packaged food, its own Nutrition Facts label is the better number.
- Health conditions. If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before making a big change to how much protein you eat.
Related tools
- Food calorie lookup: calories, protein, carbs and fat for your exact portion, with a running plate total.
- Protein calculator: grams of protein a day for your weight, age and activity.
- Macro calculator and calorie calculator: fit that protein into a full daily plan.
All food values are from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy (April 2018), which is public domain under CC0 1.0, checked in October 2026.