This chart of protein content in foods can help you get through the high-protein hype. From food labels highlighting protein to influencers sharing their high-protein meals, protein’s role in supporting muscle mass, weight loss and blood sugar regulation is more prominent than ever.
But do you know how much protein you eat every day? This graph showing the protein content in foods shows you.
It can sometimes be difficult to know exactly how much protein is in food. In fact, a recent MyFitnessPal study found that people often overestimate how much protein is in their food. For example, 88% of respondents said they did not know how much protein, fiber, carbohydrates, sugar and salt they consume daily.
Let’s change that. Bookmark this overview of protein content in foods to familiarize yourself with the protein content of your favorites. Don’t see one of your favorite foods here? Download the MyFitnessPal app and search our food database for nutritional information on over 19 million foods!
You might also like:
Learn how to log your food with our new VOICE LOG feature >
How to include more protein in your diet
If you want to increase protein in your diet, plan each meal with a protein source in mind.
That’s how dietitians do it. “Every meal the first decision I make is: ‘What proteins do I want to eat here?’ Then I build the rest of the meal around it,” says Stephanie Nelson, a registered dietitian and chief nutrition scientist at MyFitnessPal.
While precise protein needs vary from person to person, Nelson recommends aiming for them 20 to 30 grams of protein with each meal. Focus on high-quality whole-food protein sources, like those on this list.
Protein powders And beams fine occasionally, but Nelson says they won’t give you the same satiety benefit. “We think protein is filling because it usually comes from less processed, more unprocessed foods,” she says.
About the expert
Stephanie Nelson, MS, RD is a registered dietitian and is MyFitnessPal’s in-house nutritionist and food scientist. Passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles, Stephanie graduated from San Diego State University with a focus in research and disease prevention.
Proteins in foods
Nuts and seeds
- Almonds (1 oz/28 g): 6 g protein
- Chia seeds (2 tablespoons/28 g): 5 g protein
- Flaxseed (2 tablespoons/14 g): 3 g protein
- Hemp seeds (3 tablespoons / 30 g): 9 g protein
- Nuts (mixed, 1 oz/28 g): 5 g protein
- Pistachios (1 oz/28 g): 6 g protein
- Pumpkin seeds (1 oz / 28 g): 8 g protein
- Sunflower seeds (1 oz/28 g): 6 g protein
- Walnuts (1 oz/28 g): 4 g protein
Cereals and pseudocereals
- Amaranth, cooked (1 cup/246 g): 9 g protein
- Buckwheat, cooked (1 cup/168 g): 6 g protein
- Bulgur wheat, cooked (1 cup/182 g): 6 g protein
- Farro, cooked (1 cup/195 g): 12 g protein
- Nutritional yeast (1 tbsp / 5 g): 2.5 g protein
- Oats, cooked (1 cup/240 g): 5 g protein
- Quinoa, cooked (1 cup/170 g): 8 g protein
- Teff, cooked (1 cup/252 g): 10 g protein
- Udon noodles, cooked (1 cup/180 g): 7 g protein
- Ziti pasta, cooked (1 cup/140 g): 8 g protein
Vegetables
- Asparagus, cooked (1 cup/180 g): 4 g protein
- Black-eyed peas, cooked (1/2 cup / 93 g): 7 g protein 93 g /7 g protein
- Broccoli, cooked (1 cup/156 g): 4 g protein
- Eggplant, cooked (1 cup/95 g): 1 g protein
- Green peas, cooked (1 cup/160 g): 9 g protein
- Jicama (1 cup/130 g): 1 g protein
- Kale, cooked (1 cup/130 g): 4 g protein
- Mushroom, white (1 cup/155g0g 5.6 g protein
- Peas, cooked (1/2 cup/80 g): 4 g protein
- Spinach, cooked (1 cup/180 g): 6 g protein
- Watercress, raw (1 cup/34 g): 1 g protein
- Zucchini, cooked (1 cup/180 g): 2 g protein
Legumes
- Black beans, cooked (1/2 cup/90 g): 8 g protein
- Chickpeas, cooked (1/2 cup/90 g): 8 g protein
- Edamame, cooked (1/2 cup/78 g): 8 g protein
- Garbanzo beans (1/2 cup/90 g): 8 g protein
- Kidney beans, cooked (1/2 cup/90 g): 7 g protein
- Lentils, cooked (1/2 cup/90 g): 9 g protein
- Lima beans, cooked (1/2 cup/90 g): 5 g protein
- Red lentils, cooked (1/2 cup/90 g): 9 g protein
Fruits
- Avocado, one fruit (150 g): 3 g protein
- Banana, one fruit (126 g): 1 g protein
- Dates, dried (1/4 cup / 40 g): 1 g protein
- Jackfruit (1 cup/178 g): 4 g protein
You might also like:
What does protein do in the body? >
Dairy & Eggs
- Cheddar cheese (1 oz/28 g): 7 g protein
- Cottage cheese (1/2 cup / 112 g): 13 g protein
- Eggs, whole (1 large): 6 g protein
- Feta cheese (1 oz/28 g): 4 g protein
- Greek yogurt, plain (6 oz / 170 g): 17 g protein
- Ice cream, vanilla (1 cup/135 g): 5 g protein
- Kefir (1 cup / 240 ml): 8-11 g protein
- Milk (1 cup / 240 ml): 8 g protein
- Mozzarella cheese (1 oz/28 g): 7 g protein
- Parmesan cheese (1 oz/28 g): 10 g protein
- Ricotta cheese (1/2 cup/124 g): 12 g protein
- Swiss cheese (1 oz/28 g): 8 g protein
- Yogurt, plain (1 cup/245 g): 13 g protein
Meat, poultry and game – done
- Bacon, turkey (2 slices/16 g): 5 g protein
- Beef, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein
- Bison, cooked and ground (3 oz/85 g): 22 g protein
- Chicken breast, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 26 g protein
- Chicken thighs, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein
- Duck, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 20 g protein
- Ground turkey, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 23 g protein
- Italian sausage, cooked (1 link / 75 g): 14 g protein
- Lamb, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein
- Pork, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 22 g protein
- Pork chops, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 23 g protein
- Quail, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein
- Rabbit, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 27 g protein
- Turkey breast, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 26 g protein
- Veal, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 22 g protein
- Venison, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 24 g protein
Fish and seafood
- Anchovies (1 oz/28 g): 9 g protein
- Flounder, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 13 g protein
- Halibut, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 16 g protein
- Lobster, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 16 g protein
- Mackerel, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein
- Mussels, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 20 g protein
- Octopus, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 25 g protein
- Oysters, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 16 g protein
- Salmon, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 23 g protein
- Sardines, fresh or canned (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein
- Shrimp, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 20 g protein
- Tuna, canned (3 oz/85 g): 25 g protein
- Unagi (eel, 3 oz/85 g): 20 g protein
- Yellowfin tuna, cooked (3 oz/85 g): 25 g protein
Vegetable proteins
- Seitan (3 oz/85 g): 21 g protein (a popular vegan protein made from wheat gluten)
- Tempeh (1 cup/166 g): 34 g protein
- Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP, 1/2 cup/24 g): 12 g protein
- Tofu, firm (1/2 cup/126 g): 10 g protein
- Vegetarian burger (1 patty / 70 g): 11 g protein
Snacks and condiments
- Hummus (2 tablespoons/30 g): 2 g protein
- Peanut butter (2 tablespoons/32 g): 7 g protein
- Spirulina (1 tbsp/7 g): 4 g protein (a blue-green algae supplement)
- Yeast extract spread (1 tbsp / 18 g): 4 g protein
How MyFitnessPal can help
If you want to eat more protein without overdoing it or losing sight of other nutritional needs, one of the easiest ways is to track your food.
When you get your MyFitnessPal account, will give you some information. Consider: age, gender, activity level and goal. We use this information to give you a tailored macro recommendation, i.e. how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and fats you should eat throughout the day.
As you log your meals and snacks, you can see how close you are to this protein goal and make adjustments (or pull back the reins!) as necessary.
The message Here you can read how much protein is in 98 popular foods appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.