High-protein foods: a table and where protein is highest
You know you need protein, but how much is in an egg, curd cheese or lentils? Here are two tables (animal and plant foods) with the same numbers Dumpli calculates with, and a short note on how to read them.
By the Dumpli team · Information checked on 2026-10-11. General information, not medical advice. Who writes this and how we check · How we calculate
How to read the tables
- Protein per 100 g – grams of protein in 100 grams of the food. It's the number you'll also find on the label.
- Protein per 100 kcal – how much protein you get for 100 calories. The higher it is, the leaner the source. Pumpkin seeds have plenty of protein per 100 g (30.2 g), but only 5.1 g per 100 kcal; low-fat curd cheese has 20.2 g.
- Usual portion – how much protein is in the amount people normally eat. A spoon of seeds and a bowl of lentils are very different amounts.
- Raw or cooked. Meat and fish are mostly listed raw (that's how you weigh them before cooking). Cooking drives off water, so 100 g of cooked chicken has more protein (31 g) than 100 g raw (22.5 g), even though it's the same piece. Dry lentils (24.6 g) soak up water when cooked and end up at about 9 g.
Animal protein
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Kcal per 100 g | Protein per 100 kcal | Usual portion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast (cooked) | 31 g | 156 | 19.9 g | portion (120 g) – 37 g |
| Tuna in spring water | 25.5 g | 109 | 23.4 g | tin (drained, 120 g) – 31 g |
| Hard cheese | 24.9 g | 356 | 7 g | slice (20 g) – 5 g |
| Turkey breast fillet (raw) | 23.3 g | 114 | 20.4 g | portion (150 g) – 35 g |
| Chicken breast (raw) | 22.5 g | 114 | 19.7 g | 1 fillet (150 g) – 34 g |
| Stewing beef (lean, raw) | 21.8 g | 128 | 17 g | portion (150 g) – 33 g |
| Pork loin (raw) | 20.8 g | 175 | 11.9 g | portion (150 g) – 31 g |
| Salmon (raw) | 20.4 g | 202 | 10.1 g | fillet (125 g) – 26 g |
| Prawns (peeled) | 20.1 g | 85 | 23.6 g | portion (150 g) – 30 g |
| Beef mince 10% | 20 g | 170 | 11.8 g | portion (125 g) – 25 g |
| Low-fat curd cheese (tvarog) | 19.8 g | 98 | 20.2 g | portion (150 g) – 30 g |
| Skinless chicken thighs (raw) | 19.7 g | 116 | 17 g | 2 pieces (180 g) – 35 g |
| Cooked ham | 19.5 g | 125 | 15.6 g | slice (20 g) – 4 g |
| Mackerel (raw) | 18.6 g | 199 | 9.3 g | fillet (130 g) – 24 g |
| Curd cheese (tvarog) 9% | 18 g | 167 | 10.8 g | portion (150 g) – 27 g |
| Cod (raw) | 17.8 g | 77 | 23.1 g | fillet (150 g) – 27 g |
| Feta cheese | 15.1 g | 282 | 5.4 g | portion (40 g) – 6 g |
| Pickled herring | 13.7 g | 211 | 6.5 g | portion (60 g) – 8 g |
| Egg | 12.6 g | 139 | 9.1 g | 1 egg (55 g) – 7 g |
| Cottage cheese | 11.1 g | 97 | 11.4 g | pot (180 g) – 20 g |
| Egg white | 10.9 g | 48 | 22.7 g | 1 egg white (33 g) – 4 g |
| Greek yoghurt 2% | 10 g | 73 | 13.7 g | pot (150 g) – 15 g |
| Natural yoghurt | 3.5 g | 62 | 5.6 g | pot (150 g) – 5 g |
Plant protein
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Kcal per 100 g | Protein per 100 kcal | Usual portion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hemp seeds (hulled) | 31.6 g | 592 | 5.3 g | 1 tbsp (10 g) – 3 g |
| Pumpkin seeds | 30.2 g | 593 | 5.1 g | small handful (20 g) – 6 g |
| Green or brown lentils (dry) | 24.6 g | 340 | 7.2 g | portion (60 g) – 15 g |
| Split peas (dry) | 23.1 g | 330 | 7 g | portion (60 g) – 14 g |
| Peanut butter | 22.2 g | 630 | 3.5 g | 1 tbsp (15 g) – 3 g |
| Almonds | 21.2 g | 595 | 3.6 g | small handful (20 g) – 4 g |
| Sunflower seeds | 20.8 g | 609 | 3.4 g | small handful (20 g) – 4 g |
| Ground linseed | 18.3 g | 514 | 3.6 g | 1 tbsp (10 g) – 2 g |
| Chia seeds | 16.5 g | 442 | 3.7 g | 1 tbsp (12 g) – 2 g |
| Tofu (firm) | 13.4 g | 142 | 9.4 g | portion (150 g) – 20 g |
| Rolled oats | 13.2 g | 362 | 3.6 g | small handful (50 g) – 7 g |
| Wholemeal bread | 12.5 g | 240 | 5.2 g | slice (35 g) – 4 g |
| Buckwheat (dry) | 11.7 g | 351 | 3.3 g | portion (70 g) – 8 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 9 g | 104 | 8.7 g | portion (150 g) – 14 g |
| Chickpeas, cooked / tinned | 8.9 g | 153 | 5.8 g | portion (120 g) – 11 g |
| Red kidney beans, cooked / tinned | 8.7 g | 116 | 7.5 g | portion (120 g) – 10 g |
| Rye bread | 8.3 g | 257 | 3.2 g | slice (35 g) – 3 g |
| Hummus | 8.2 g | 288 | 2.8 g | 2 tbsp (50 g) – 4 g |
| Garden peas (frozen) | 5.2 g | 70 | 7.4 g | portion (80 g) – 4 g |
| Buckwheat, cooked | 3.4 g | 93 | 3.7 g | plate (200 g) – 7 g |
Plant proteins are sometimes lower in some essential amino acids, but that's easy to fix: eat a mix of sources over the day, such as pulses with grains (lentil soup with wholemeal bread, chickpeas with rice). Tofu (13.4 g per 100 g) is one of the handiest plant sources.
The cheapest protein sources
Every food in Dumpli's data has a rough price level (cheap, mid, pricier) rather than an exact price, because shop prices change. The cheapest group includes:
- eggs – about 7 g of protein each;
- lentils, split peas, chickpeas and beans;
- skinless chicken thighs – often cheaper than breast;
- herring and sunflower seeds;
- oats and buckwheat – not a main protein source, but they add up.
More on saving money without cutting protein – in the guide to eating healthy on a budget.
What it looks like in a day
For example, for a 70 kg person losing weight Dumpli works with about 84–112 g of protein a day (1.2–1.6 g per kg). The simplest way there is a protein source at every meal:
- breakfast: protein omelette with cottage cheese or a portion of low-fat curd cheese (about 30 g of protein);
- lunch: chicken with buckwheat or lentil soup;
- snack: cottage cheese with pear;
- dinner: pan-fried salmon with spinach.
Calories and nutrition for every food are in the food calorie counter.
The numbers are approximate: they come from public food composition data (USDA FoodData Central) and typical labels of products sold in Lithuania. A specific product's label may differ a little.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods have the most protein?
Among everyday foods, cooked chicken breast (about 31 g per 100 g), tuna, hard cheese, and pumpkin and hemp seeds have the most protein per 100 g. Seeds and cheese also bring a lot of calories, so for every day lean meat, fish, curd cheese, eggs and pulses are easier picks.
How much protein is in an egg?
About 12.6 g per 100 g, so one medium (55 g) egg has about 7 g.
How much protein is in chicken breast?
Raw chicken breast has about 22.5 g per 100 g, cooked about 31 g. No protein is added by cooking: water evaporates, so the same piece simply weighs less.
How much protein is in curd cheese (tvarog) and cottage cheese?
Low-fat curd cheese has about 19.8 g per 100 g, cottage cheese about 11.1 g. Low-fat curd cheese is one of the cheapest and leanest sources: about 20.2 g of protein per 100 kcal.
Is buckwheat high in protein?
Dry buckwheat has a fair amount, but cooked buckwheat has only about 3.4 g per 100 g because it soaks up a lot of water. It's a good side with fibre, but don't count on it as your main protein source.
Read next
- How to eat healthily on a budget – The cheapest sources of protein and fibre in our own food data, what to buy frozen, and how to stop throwing food away.