The Complete High Protein Food List {printable with calories}

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Eating sufficient protein can help with weight loss while preserving muscle. Print this high protein food list for your fridge or notebook today and get new ideas for dietary protein.

Getting older, and becoming the old lady on the bikini stage, I’ve been consuming more protein. I recently wrote about my top 25 protein foods I eat the most here.

But, I thought a more comprehensive list would be fun to make, organized by how many grams of protein you get when weights are equal (100 grams). (Skip the reading and just print the list here!)

What is protein?

Proteins are large molecules found in living cells. Proteins are like building blocks to build tissues in the human body, such as muscle tissue, bones, blood, and even hormones.

Proteins function as enzymes, antibodies, and they assist in maintaining fluid balance.

Why protein should be included in your diet

While our bodies are capable of making certain amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, there are are others, called essential amino acids, that can only be obtained through food.

Because our bodies are constantly turning over tissue, new proteins are needed to replace degraded existing proteins. Cell growth, repair, and maintenance all require protein.

Eating protein containing foods will consistently be used to replace old tissue, such as skin tissue, with new tissue made by the new proteins. (see how I meal prep for my high protein foods here)

How much protein do you need in a day

The number one question I get on this blog is how much protein do we need. The answer is, if you are eating adequate energy, meaning your calories are enough to maintain your weight), than it’s likely you do not need to worry about the amount of protein you are consuming.

Most foods, even vegetables, contain some amount of protein, so if you are consuming adequate calories, you probably have enough protein.

With that said, the amount of protein you might want to get in your diet, can move towards depends on your goals.

For the average adult however, 1.0-1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight is a general guideline. Converted to pounds, this means, if you are 100 lbs, you would thrive consuming approximately 50-70 grams of protein per day. (source)

I am close to 100 lbs, and lift some pretty heavy weights. So I’ve chosen to eat more protein, although it isn’t necessary. I’ve increased this amount to 1 gram of protein per pound (so 100 grams of protein per day for me).

What foods are the best source of protein

Ideally, consuming proteins from a variety of sources is the best strategy. When you vary your protein, you are able to get a wide range of nutrients that assist your body in using the protein. (grab this high protein meal plan for ideas on getting variety!) (source)

If you are counting calories however, the proteins with the lowest calories are the foods where there aren’t other macronutrients, such as carbs or fat. For example, nuts have more calories per gram of protein because it also comes with fats. Milk will have more calories per gram of protein because it has carbohydrates in addition to protein.

Lean meats, where there is virtually little fat or carbs, will have the most protein per calorie.

Below you’ll find a full list of calories plus grams of protein for each high protein item listed! Print it here or bookmark this page.

List of protein foods with calories

All the data for grams of protein and calories I searched on the USDA database here. It’s the most comprehensive and trustworthy list I’ve found. If there is a food not on my list, head over to the database and use the search feature.

Print this high protein food list here!

high protien food list with calories and grams of protein
Protein Rich foodsProteinCaloriesMeasurentTypical Serving
Almond butter21 grams614 calories100 grams2 tablespoons = 7 grams protein
Almonds21 grams579 calories100 grams1 ounce = 6 grams protein
Bacon (cooked)37 grams541 calories100 grams1 slice – 3 grams protein
Beans (cooked legumes)8.7 grams127 calories100 grams1/2 cup = 7 grams protein
Beef, ground (cooked 95% lean)27 grams174 calories100 grams3 ounces = 23 grams protein
Beef, steak (sirloin)27 grams244 calories100 grams3 ounces = 23 grams protein
Cashew18 grams553 calories100 gram1 ounce = 5 grams protein
Chia seeds17 grams486 calories100 grams1 ounce = 4.7 grams protein
Chicken breasts31 grams165 calories100 grams4 ounces = 36 grams protein
Chicken thighs24 grams177 calories100 grams4 ounces = 28 grams protein
Cottage cheese (2%)12 grams86 calories100 grams1/2 cup = 13 grams protein
Edamame (cooked)11 grams122 calories100 grams1 cup = 17 grams protein
Egg whites11 grams52 calories100 grams1 large = 3.6 grams protein
Eggs13 gram143 calories100 grams1 large = 6 grams protein
Fish, Cod18 grams82 calories100 grams3 ounce = 15 grams protein
Fish, halibut (cooked)23 grams111 calories100 grams3 ounce = 19 grams protein
Fish, salmon (cooked)24 grams178 caloires100 grams3 ounce = 21 grams protein
Fish, Tilapia26 grams129 calories100 grams3 ounce = 22 grams
Greek Yogurt nonfat (varies by brand)10 grams87 calories100 grams1 cup = 24 grams protein
Hemp seeds30 grams567 calories100 grams3 tablespoons (30 g) = 9 grams protein
Hummus (varies by brand or recipe)7 grams250 calories100 grams2 tablespoons = 2 grams of protein
Peanut butter22 grams598 calories100 grams2 tablespoons = 7 grams protein
Peanuts25 grams607 calories100 grams1 ounce = 7 grams protein
Pine nuts14 grams673 calories100 grams1 ounce = 4 grams protein
Pork chops (lean, cooked)21 grams280 calories100 grams3 ounces = 18 grams protein
Pork, tenderloin27 grams154 calories100 grams3 ounces = 22 grams protein
Protein Powder (whey)78 grams338 calories100 grams38 grams (1 scoop) = 30 grams protein
pumpkin seeds19 grams446 calories100 grams1 ounce = 5 grams protein
Refried beans5 grams92 calories100 grams1/2 cup = 7 grams protein
Ricotta Cheese (part skim)11 grams138 calories100 grams1/2 cup = 14 grams protein
Shrimp (cooked)24 grams99 calories100 grams3 ounces = 19 grams protein
Sunflower seeds21 grams584 calories100 grams1/4 cup = 6 grams protein
Tempeh19 grams193 calories100 grams1 cup = 31 grams protein
Tofu8 grams76 calories100 grams1/2 cup = 10 grams protein
Tuna28 grams132 calories100 grams3 ounces = 24 grams protein
Turkey breast29 grams189 calories100 grams3 ounces = 26 grams protein
Turkey, deli meat18 grams98 calories100 grams4 ounces = 20 grams protein
Turkey, ground (93% lean)19.5 grams141 calories100 grams3 ounces = 16.5 grams protein
Yogurt (lowfat, plain)6 grams70 calories100 grams1 cup = 11 grams

NEXT – > Grab the printable list of vegetables here!

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printable protein food list with calories and protein grams

New and improved printable protein list here!

list of protein foods with calories

4 Comments

  1. Hi Amy,
    This is a very user friendly list, thank you! I see the only red meat is ground beef. What is your opinion of leaner cuts of red meat, like tenderloin? Do you avoid them because of the higher calorie content or do you avoid them for other reasons too? Thanks!

    1. Hi Amy!I like the ground beef because I know exactly how much fat is in it (93%/97%, etc.).  It’s not that I don’t eat other red meats, but I just don’t buy them often. And also, I’m terrible at cooking them! I’m taking a cooking class for meats this fall though, so that all might change soon!
      Amy

  2. Could you help me understand the List of High Protein Foods. For example, 100 grams of Almond Butter has 21g of protein and 614 calories. And the Typical Serving is 2 tablespoons = 7g protein.

    Here is where I am confused–1 tbsp = 14.3 grams. So, 2 tbsps would be 28.6g of protein not 21g.

    What is the correlation of each data point (Grams of Protein, Calories, …). Thanks

    1. Hi JohnThe 1 tablespoon=14 grams refers to the weight, and not 14g of protein.So, according to the USDA, 100grams of almond butter by weight contains 20.8 grams of protein.See that here https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/2262074/nutrientsDoes that make sense?
      Amy

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