The Complete High Protein Food List {printable with calories}

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!

Protein Rich foods	Protein	Calories	Measurent	Typical Serving
Almond butter	21 grams	614 calories	100 grams	2 tablespoons = 7 grams protein
Almonds	21 grams	579 calories	100 grams	1 ounce = 6 grams protein
Bacon (cooked)	37 grams	541 calories	100 grams	1 slice – 3 grams protein
Beans (cooked legumes)	8.7 grams	127 calories	100 grams	1/2 cup = 7 grams protein
Beef, ground (cooked 95% lean)	27 grams	174 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 23 grams protein
Beef, steak (sirloin)	27 grams	244 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 23 grams protein
Cashew	18 grams	553 calories	100 gram	1 ounce = 5 grams protein
Chia seeds	17 grams	486 calories	100 grams	1 ounce = 4.7 grams protein
Chicken breasts	31 grams	165 calories	100 grams	4 ounces = 36 grams protein
Chicken thighs	24 grams	177 calories	100 grams	4 ounces = 28 grams protein
Cottage cheese (2%)	12 grams	86 calories	100 grams	1/2 cup = 13 grams protein
Edamame (cooked)	11 grams	122 calories	100 grams	1 cup = 17 grams protein
Egg whites	11 grams	52 calories	100 grams	1 large = 3.6 grams protein
Eggs	13 gram	143 calories	100 grams	1 large = 6 grams protein
Fish, Cod	18 grams	82 calories	100 grams	3 ounce = 15 grams protein
Fish, halibut (cooked)	23 grams	111 calories	100 grams	3 ounce = 19 grams protein
Fish, salmon (cooked)	24 grams	178 caloires	100 grams	3 ounce = 21 grams protein
Fish, Tilapia	26 grams	129 calories	100 grams	3 ounce = 22 grams
Greek Yogurt nonfat (varies by brand)	10 grams	87 calories	100 grams	1 cup = 24 grams protein
Hemp seeds	30 grams	567 calories	100 grams	3 tablespoons (30 g) = 9 grams protein
Hummus (varies by brand or recipe)	7 grams	250 calories	100 grams	2 tablespoons = 2 grams of protein
Peanut butter	22 grams	598 calories	100 grams	2 tablespoons = 7 grams protein
Peanuts	25 grams	607 calories	100 grams	1 ounce = 7 grams protein
Pine nuts	14 grams	673 calories	100 grams	1 ounce = 4 grams protein
Pork chops (lean, cooked)	21 grams	280 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 18 grams protein
Pork, tenderloin	27 grams	154 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 22 grams protein
Protein Powder (whey)	78 grams	338 calories	100 grams	38 grams (1 scoop) = 30 grams protein
pumpkin seeds	19 grams	446 calories	100 grams	1 ounce = 5 grams protein
Refried beans	5 grams	92 calories	100 grams	1/2 cup = 7 grams protein
Ricotta Cheese (part skim)	11 grams	138 calories	100 grams	1/2 cup = 14 grams protein
Shrimp (cooked)	24 grams	99 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 19 grams protein
Sunflower seeds	21 grams	584 calories	100 grams	1/4 cup = 6 grams protein
Tempeh	19 grams	193 calories	100 grams	1 cup = 31 grams protein
Tofu	8 grams	76 calories	100 grams	1/2 cup = 10 grams protein
Tuna	28 grams	132 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 24 grams protein
Turkey breast	29 grams	189 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 26 grams protein
Turkey, deli meat	18 grams	98 calories	100 grams	4 ounces = 20 grams protein
Turkey, ground (93% lean)	19.5 grams	141 calories	100 grams	3 ounces = 16.5 grams protein
Yogurt (lowfat, plain)	6 grams	70 calories	100 grams	1 cup = 11 grams

NEXT – > Grab the printable list of vegetables here!

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New and improved printable protein list here!