High-Protein Foods: Calories & Macros Compared
This list contains every food in our database that delivers at least 15 grams of protein per 100 grams — the practical threshold where a food stops being "contains some protein" and starts genuinely moving you toward a daily target. It's ranked by protein density, so the foods that give you the most protein per bite sit at the top.
When you're tracking macros, the number that matters most here isn't protein alone — it's protein relative to calories. Two foods can both offer 25g of protein while one costs 120 calories and the other 350. The table shows calories, carbs, and fat alongside protein for each serving precisely so you can make that trade-off consciously: lean sources when you're cutting, calorie-denser ones when you're trying to gain.
Click through to any food for its complete USDA nutrition profile, serving-size conversions, and notes on how it fits different goals.
| Food | Serving | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whey Protein Powder | 1 scoop (30g) | 106352/100g | 23.4g | 1.9g | 0.5g |
| Bacon | 2 slices (16g, cooked) | 75468/100g | 5.4g | 0.3g | 5.6g |
| Beef Jerky | 1 oz (28g) | 115410/100g | 9.3g | 3.1g | 7.2g |
| Chicken Breast (cooked) | 100g (cooked, skinless) | 165165/100g | 31g | 0g | 3.6g |
| Sirloin Steak | 100g (cooked, lean) | 183183/100g | 30.6g | 0g | 5.8g |
| Protein Bar | 1 bar (50g) | 206412/100g | 15.2g | 19.2g | 7.6g |
| Turkey Breast (roasted) | 100g (roasted, skinless) | 147147/100g | 30.1g | 0g | 2.1g |
| Pumpkin Seeds | 28g kernels (small handful) | 161574/100g | 8.3g | 4.1g | 13.7g |
| Parmesan | 1 tbsp grated (5g) | 21421/100g | 1.5g | 0.6g | 1.4g |
| Pot Roast | 3 oz (85g) | 213251/100g | 24.1g | 0g | 13.1g |
| Ground Turkey (cooked) | 100g (cooked) | 203203/100g | 27.4g | 0g | 10.4g |
| Swiss Cheese | 1 slice (28g) | 110393/100g | 7.6g | 0.4g | 8.7g |
| Pork Tenderloin | 100g (roasted) | 143143/100g | 26.2g | 0g | 3.5g |
| Tilapia | 1 fillet (87g, cooked) | 111128/100g | 22.8g | 0g | 2.3g |
| Lean Ground Beef (93/7) | 100g (cooked) | 182182/100g | 25.6g | 0.1g | 8g |
| Pork Chop | 1 medium chop (145g, cooked) | 303209/100g | 37.1g | 0g | 16.1g |
| Tuna | 100g (canned in water) | 116116/100g | 25.5g | 0g | 0.8g |
| Chicken Thigh (cooked) | 100g (cooked, skinless) | 179179/100g | 24.8g | 0g | 8.2g |
| Sardines (canned in oil) | 1 can, drained (92g) | 191208/100g | 22.6g | 0g | 10.5g |
| Ground Beef (80/20) | 100g (cooked) | 246246/100g | 24g | 0g | 15.9g |
| Ribeye Steak | 100g (grilled) | 285285/100g | 23.9g | 0g | 21.1g |
| Chicken Wings | 4 wings (136g, roasted) | 345254/100g | 32.4g | 0g | 23g |
| String Cheese (mozzarella) | 1 stick (28g) | 83298/100g | 6.6g | 1.2g | 5.7g |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 114408/100g | 6.5g | 0.7g | 9.5g |
| Cod | 1 fillet (90g, cooked) | 95105/100g | 20.5g | 0g | 0.8g |
| Shrimp | 3 oz (85g, cooked) | 101119/100g | 19.4g | 1.3g | 1.4g |
| Mozzarella | 1 oz (28g) | 84299/100g | 6.2g | 0.7g | 6.2g |
| Peanut Butter | 2 tbsp (32g) | 191598/100g | 7.1g | 7.1g | 16.4g |
| Salmon | 100g (cooked) | 206206/100g | 22.1g | 0g | 12.4g |
| Chicken Tikka Masala | 1 cup (235g) | 407173/100g | 51.2g | 3.8g | 20.9g |
| Almonds | 28g (about 23 nuts) | 162579/100g | 5.9g | 6g | 14g |
| Almond Butter | 2 tbsp (32g) | 196614/100g | 6.7g | 6g | 17.8g |
| Pistachios | 28g kernels (about 49 nuts) | 157561/100g | 5.7g | 7.8g | 12.6g |
| Tempeh | 100g | 192192/100g | 20.3g | 7.6g | 10.8g |
| Feta Cheese | ¼ cup crumbled (38g) | 104273/100g | 7.5g | 2.1g | 7.3g |
| Fried Chicken | 1 piece (60g) | 173289/100g | 11.6g | 3.6g | 12.1g |
| Sunflower Seeds | 28g kernels (small handful) | 163582/100g | 5.4g | 6.7g | 13.9g |
| Philly Cheesesteak | 1 6-inch (230g) | 621270/100g | 42.3g | 49.4g | 27.6g |
| Cashews | 28g (about 18 nuts) | 155553/100g | 5.1g | 8.5g | 12.3g |
| Flaxseed (ground) | 2 tbsp, ground (14g) | 72514/100g | 2.5g | 4.8g | 5.2g |
| Cheeseburger | 1 burger (152g) | 450296/100g | 27.2g | 28.4g | 24.6g |
| Hamburger | 1 burger (140g) | 403288/100g | 24.5g | 29g | 20.2g |
| Meatloaf | 1 slice (120g) | 239199/100g | 21g | 8.6g | 12.8g |
| Tofu (firm) | 100g (firm, raw) | 144144/100g | 17.3g | 2.8g | 8.7g |
| Ham (sliced) | 2 slices (56g) | 92164/100g | 9.3g | 2g | 4.9g |
| Chia Seeds | 2 tbsp (24g) | 117486/100g | 4g | 10.1g | 7.4g |
| Chicken Parmesan | 1 cutlet (190g) | 331174/100g | 30.8g | 15.8g | 15.8g |
| Chicken Nuggets | 6 nuggets (96g) | 295307/100g | 15.3g | 14.3g | 19.6g |
| Beef Taco | 1 taco (85g) | 212249/100g | 13.2g | 13g | 11.8g |
| Walnuts | 28g (about 14 halves) | 183654/100g | 4.3g | 3.8g | 18.3g |
| Club Sandwich | 1 sandwich (245g) | 544222/100g | 37g | 56.6g | 18.4g |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a high-protein food?
A useful benchmark is 15g+ of protein per 100g — that's the bar every food on this page clears. For packaged foods, another check is whether at least 25–30% of the calories come from protein.
Can I eat too much protein?
For healthy people, intakes up to 2.2 g/kg and beyond show no harm in research. The practical ceiling is usually budgetary: very high protein targets crowd out the carbs and fats that fuel training and make food enjoyable.
Which high-protein foods are best on a cut?
Sort this table mentally by protein-per-calorie: white fish, chicken breast, egg whites, non-fat Greek yogurt, and lean beef lead. They let you hit 150g+ of protein inside an aggressive calorie budget.
Do plant proteins build muscle as well as animal proteins?
Slightly less efficiently per gram (lower leucine, lower digestibility), but the gap closes if total protein is a bit higher — around 10–20% more — and sources are varied. Soy, legumes, and seitan are the strongest plant options.