Protein per 100 kcal: which foods give you the most?
When you eat less to lose fat, every calorie counts. Protein per 100 kcal shows how much protein your calories buy: 100 kcal of chicken breast, skinless (raw) = 18.8 g of protein, 100 kcal of rolled oats (dry) = 3.5 g.
I tell active people to aim for 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day (0.7 to 1.0 g per lb). Below you find 32 foods ranked, and a calculator that turns the price in your own shop into the cost of 100 g of protein.
Numbers: USDA FoodData Central and product labels, checked 13 October 2026.- Most protein per 100 kcal 23.6 g per 100 kcal Shrimp or prawns (raw) 20.1 g of protein and 85 kcal per 100 g.
- Top plant food 12.0 g per 100 kcal Tofu, firm 17.3 g of protein and 144 kcal per 100 g.
- High protein per calorie 19 of 32 foods have 10 g or more of protein per 100 kcal See the full list
Protein per 100 kcal: 32 foods ranked
Sort by protein per 100 kcal, or by protein per 100 g. A food gets the label “High protein per calorie” when it has 10 g of protein or more per 100 kcal.
Compare foods per 100 kcal. Water in cooked food changes the per 100 g numbers a lot, but per 100 kcal they stay close. The State column tells you what the numbers are for: raw, cooked, dry or as sold.
Showing 32 of 32 foods.
| Food | State | Source | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp or prawnsHigh protein per calorie | 23.6 g | 20.1 g | 85 | raw | USDA FDC 175179 (opens in a new tab) |
| Whey protein powderDry powderHigh protein per calorie | 22.2 g | 78.1 g | 352 | as sold | USDA FDC 173180 (opens in a new tab) |
| Tuna, canned in waterLight tuna, drainedHigh protein per calorie | 22.0 g | 25.5 g | 116 | as sold | USDA FDC 171986 (opens in a new tab) |
| Cod, AtlanticHigh protein per calorie | 21.7 g | 17.8 g | 82 | raw | USDA FDC 171955 (opens in a new tab) |
| Turkey breastHigh protein per calorie | 20.8 g | 23.7 g | 114 | raw | USDA FDC 171098 (opens in a new tab) |
| Egg whiteHigh protein per calorie | 20.6 g | 10.7 g | 52 | raw | USDA FDC 2707168 (opens in a new tab) |
| Skyr, plainHigh protein per calorie | 19.7 g | 12.0 g | 61 | as sold | Product label |
| Pork tenderloinLean meat onlyHigh protein per calorie | 19.3 g | 21.0 g | 109 | raw | USDA FDC 168249 (opens in a new tab) |
| Chicken breast, skinlessRoastedHigh protein per calorie | 18.8 g | 31.0 g | 165 | cooked | USDA FDC 171477 (opens in a new tab) |
| Chicken breast, skinlessHigh protein per calorie | 18.8 g | 22.5 g | 120 | raw | USDA FDC 171077 (opens in a new tab) |
| Quark, low-fatFresh cheeseHigh protein per calorie | 17.9 g | 12.0 g | 67 | as sold | Product label |
| Lean beef, bottom roundLean meat only, trimmedHigh protein per calorie | 17.3 g | 22.2 g | 128 | raw | USDA FDC 174046 (opens in a new tab) |
| Greek yogurt, plain, 0% fatHigh protein per calorie | 17.3 g | 10.2 g | 59 | as sold | USDA FDC 170894 (opens in a new tab) |
| Cottage cheese, 1% fatHigh protein per calorie | 17.2 g | 12.4 g | 72 | as sold | USDA FDC 173417 (opens in a new tab) |
| Beef mince, 5% fatUS: ground beef, 95% leanHigh protein per calorie | 15.6 g | 21.4 g | 137 | raw | USDA FDC 171790 (opens in a new tab) |
| Tofu, firmMade with calcium sulfateHigh protein per calorie | 12.0 g | 17.3 g | 144 | as sold | USDA FDC 172475 (opens in a new tab) |
| TempehHigh protein per calorie | 10.6 g | 20.3 g | 192 | as sold | USDA FDC 174272 (opens in a new tab) |
| Edamame, frozenUnpreparedHigh protein per calorie | 10.3 g | 11.2 g | 109 | as sold | USDA FDC 168410 (opens in a new tab) |
| Milk, skimmedHigh protein per calorie | 10.0 g | 3.4 g | 34 | as sold | USDA FDC 171269 (opens in a new tab) |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed | 9.8 g | 20.4 g | 208 | raw | USDA FDC 175167 (opens in a new tab) |
| Whole eggEdible part, without shell | 8.8 g | 12.6 g | 143 | raw | USDA FDC 171287 (opens in a new tab) |
| LentilsBoiled, no salt | 7.8 g | 9.0 g | 116 | cooked | USDA FDC 172421 (opens in a new tab) |
| Lentils | 7.0 g | 24.6 g | 352 | dry | USDA FDC 172420 (opens in a new tab) |
| Black beansBoiled, no salt | 6.7 g | 8.9 g | 132 | cooked | USDA FDC 173735 (opens in a new tab) |
| Black beans | 6.3 g | 21.6 g | 341 | dry | USDA FDC 173734 (opens in a new tab) |
| Cheddar cheese | 5.7 g | 23.3 g | 409 | as sold | USDA FDC 2705709 (opens in a new tab) |
| ChickpeasBoiled, no salt | 5.4 g | 8.9 g | 164 | cooked | USDA FDC 173757 (opens in a new tab) |
| Chickpeas | 5.4 g | 20.5 g | 378 | dry | USDA FDC 173756 (opens in a new tab) |
| Milk, whole | 5.2 g | 3.2 g | 61 | as sold | USDA FDC 171265 (opens in a new tab) |
| Peanut butterSmooth, with salt | 3.7 g | 22.2 g | 598 | as sold | USDA FDC 174266 (opens in a new tab) |
| AlmondsRaw | 3.7 g | 21.2 g | 579 | as sold | USDA FDC 170567 (opens in a new tab) |
| Rolled oatsRegular and quick, not fortified | 3.5 g | 13.2 g | 379 | dry | USDA FDC 173904 (opens in a new tab) |
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What protein costs in your shop
Pick a food, enter the pack size and the price from your own shop. You get the cost of 100 g of protein and of a 30 g serving of protein. Compare up to 4 items. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Liquids: 1 ml is about 1 g, so a 1 l pack = 1,000 g. Canned beans: choose the cooked version and use the drained weight.
Item 1
Choose a food, then enter the pack size and the price.
Item 2
Choose a food, then enter the pack size and the price.
Why protein per 100 kcal matters
When you eat less to lose fat, protein helps you keep your muscle. You also have fewer calories to spend, so it matters how many calories come with your protein.
The same 120 g of protein comes with 640 kcal from chicken breast, skinless (raw) and with 3,232 kcal from peanut butter. That is the whole idea of this chart.
How much protein you need per day: read my article How much protein do you need.
How we count
Protein per 100 kcal
protein per 100 g ÷ kcal per 100 g × 100
Example: Chicken breast, skinless (raw): 22.5 ÷ 120 × 100 = 18.8 g.
The label “High protein per calorie”
A food gets the label when it has 10 g of protein or more per 100 kcal. I chose this line to keep the list easy to read. It is not a medical guideline.
Cost of 100 g of protein
price ÷ (pack size in g × protein per 100 g ÷ 100) × 100
Example with an imaginary price: a 1,000 g pack of chicken breast, skinless (raw) costs 10 in your currency. The pack has 1,000 × 22.5 ÷ 100 = 225 g of protein. 10 ÷ 225 × 100 = 4.44 per 100 g of protein. The price is made up, only the math is real.
Raw, cooked, dry, as sold
Cooking and drying change the water in food, so the numbers per 100 g change a lot. Chicken breast: 22.5 g of protein per 100 g raw, 31.0 g roasted. Per 100 kcal the two stay close: 18.8 g and 18.8 g. Pick the row that matches how you weigh your food. Canned beans are cooked: use the drained weight.
Where the numbers come from
Most numbers come from USDA FoodData Central, the food database of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Source column shows the FDC ID, click it to see the full entry. Skyr and quark come from product labels (typical values). Real products vary by brand, so check the label on your pack.
Source of every number
- Almonds: USDA FDC 170567 (Nuts, almonds)
- Beef mince, 5% fat (raw): USDA FDC 171790 (Beef, ground, 95% lean meat / 5% fat, raw)
- Black beans (cooked): USDA FDC 173735 (Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)
- Black beans (dry): USDA FDC 173734 (Beans, black, mature seeds, raw)
- Cheddar cheese: USDA FDC 2705709 (Cheese, Cheddar)
- Chicken breast, skinless (cooked): USDA FDC 171477 (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted)
- Chicken breast, skinless (raw): USDA FDC 171077 (Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw)
- Chickpeas (cooked): USDA FDC 173757 (Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)
- Chickpeas (dry): USDA FDC 173756 (Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw)
- Cod, Atlantic (raw): USDA FDC 171955 (Fish, cod, Atlantic, raw)
- Cottage cheese, 1% fat: USDA FDC 173417 (Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 1% milkfat)
- Edamame, frozen: USDA FDC 168410 (Edamame, frozen, unprepared)
- Egg white (raw): USDA FDC 2707168 (Egg, white only, raw)
- Greek yogurt, plain, 0% fat: USDA FDC 170894 (Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program))
- Lean beef, bottom round (raw): USDA FDC 174046 (Beef, round, bottom round, roast, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, all grades, raw)
- Lentils (cooked): USDA FDC 172421 (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt)
- Lentils (dry): USDA FDC 172420 (Lentils, raw)
- Milk, skimmed: USDA FDC 171269 (Milk, nonfat, fluid, with added vitamin A and vitamin D (fat free or skim))
- Milk, whole: USDA FDC 171265 (Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D)
- Peanut butter: USDA FDC 174266 (Peanut butter, smooth style, with salt (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program))
- Pork tenderloin (raw): USDA FDC 168249 (Pork, fresh, loin, tenderloin, separable lean only, raw)
- Quark, low-fat: Labels of three low-fat quark brands (11 to 12 g protein and 63 to 67 kcal per 100 g), checked 2 and 13 October 2026
- Rolled oats (dry): USDA FDC 173904 (Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry)
- Salmon, Atlantic, farmed (raw): USDA FDC 175167 (Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, raw)
- Shrimp or prawns (raw): USDA FDC 175179 (Crustaceans, shrimp, raw)
- Skyr, plain: Label of a plain skyr from a dairy (12 g protein and 61 kcal per 100 g), checked 13 October 2026
- Tempeh: USDA FDC 174272 (Tempeh)
- Tofu, firm: USDA FDC 172475 (Tofu, raw, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate)
- Tuna, canned in water: USDA FDC 171986 (Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, without salt, drained solids)
- Turkey breast (raw): USDA FDC 171098 (Turkey, whole, breast, meat only, raw)
- Whey protein powder: USDA FDC 173180 (Beverages, Protein powder whey based)
- Whole egg (raw): USDA FDC 171287 (Egg, whole, raw, fresh)
Frequently asked questions
What is protein per 100 kcal?
It is the grams of protein in a food divided by its calories, times 100. Chicken breast, skinless (raw) has 18.8 g of protein per 100 kcal. Rolled oats (dry) has 3.5 g. The higher the number, the more protein your calories buy.
Which foods have the most protein per calorie?
In this list the top five per 100 kcal are: Shrimp or prawns (raw) 23.6 g; Whey protein powder 22.2 g; Tuna, canned in water 22.0 g; Cod, Atlantic (raw) 21.7 g; Turkey breast (raw) 20.8 g. Protein powder is not a whole food.
How much protein do I need per day?
I tell active people to aim for 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day (0.7 to 1.0 g per lb). With 80 kg that is 80 × 1.6 = 128 g to 80 × 2.2 = 176 g a day. If you have kidney disease or another health condition, talk to your doctor first.
Is protein per calorie the same for raw and cooked food?
Almost. Cooking changes the water in food, so protein per 100 g changes a lot. Chicken breast has 22.5 g raw and 31.0 g roasted. Per 100 kcal it stays close: 18.8 g raw and 18.8 g roasted. That is why this chart compares foods per 100 kcal.
How do I work out what protein costs in my shop?
Divide the price by the grams of protein in the pack, then multiply by 100. Grams of protein in the pack = pack size in g × protein per 100 g ÷ 100. The calculator on this page does it for you: pick the food, enter the pack size and the price, and it shows the cost of 100 g of protein.
Is high protein per calorie always better?
No. It is one number. Whole egg has 8.8 g of protein per 100 kcal, under the 10 g line, and it is still a good food. Use the chart to choose protein when calories are tight. It does not tell you what is healthy or what you enjoy.
This tool is for information only. It is not medical advice. If you have kidney disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have an eating disorder, take medication or have any other health condition, talk to your doctor before you change your diet.