Protein Foods Table
| Food | Protein per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Pumpkin seed kernels, roasted | 29.8 g |
| Parmesan, grated | 28.4 g |
| Turkey breast, meat only, raw | 23.7 g |
| Chicken breast, boneless, skinless, raw | 22.5 g |
| Almonds, raw | 21.5 g |
| Pork loin, boneless, raw | 21.1 g |
| Tempeh | 20.3 g |
| Shrimp, raw | 20.1 g |
| Ground beef, 90% lean, raw | 20.0 g |
| Light tuna, canned in water, drained | 19.0 g |
| Cod, Atlantic, raw | 17.8 g |
| Tofu, firm (calcium sulfate), raw | 17.3 g |
| Egg, whole, raw | 12.6 g |
| Cottage cheese, lowfat 1% | 12.4 g |
| Edamame, frozen, prepared | 11.9 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain, lowfat | 10.0 g |
| Lentils, mature seeds, cooked | 9.0 g |
| Black beans, mature seeds, cooked | 8.9 g |
Protein comparisons go wrong in one predictable way: the serving sizes quietly change. This table holds the serving constant - 100 grams of each food, as listed - so pumpkin seeds, parmesan, turkey breast and tofu stand on the same stage. The numbers come straight from USDA FoodData Central (Foundation and SR Legacy records), the federal database almost every nutrition label and app ultimately inherits from.
The ranking hides two honest surprises. First, seeds and hard cheese beat every meat: roasted pumpkin seeds carry 29.8 grams per 100 and grated parmesan 28.4, ahead of turkey breast's 23.7 - but nobody eats 100 grams of parmesan the way they eat 100 grams of turkey, which is why per-100-g density and per-plate reality are different conversations. Second, cooked beans at 9 grams are not a disappointment - they arrive with fiber, potassium and zero cholesterol, and their dry-weight protein is triple the cooked figure, which is why entries always state their form.
The practical read: animal rows cluster tightly at 17-24 grams, so any lean meat or fish you enjoy clears the bar; the plant column spreads wider, and combining rows (rice with beans, bread with peanut butter) is how vegetarian plates reach completeness. Use the protein intake calculator first to know your daily target, then use this table to pick the foods that clear it fastest per bite.
How to use
- Compare like with like: every figure is per 100 grams in the form listed - raw meats and fish, cooked legumes, drained canned fish - because draining or cooking changes the number by concentrating or diluting the protein.
- Convert to your plate: a typical 150-gram chicken breast portion delivers roughly 34 grams (22.5 g per 100 g raw, slightly more cooked); a half-cup of lentils around 9 grams.
- Scan the form column before the number: 'cooked', 'drained' and 'raw' rows answer different questions - meal planning uses cooked weights, label comparison uses the as-sold form.
Frequently asked questions
Which food has the most protein per 100 grams?
Among common foods, roasted pumpkin seed kernels lead this table at 29.8 grams, with grated parmesan at 28.4 - both edge out every meat because they are concentrated by drying or aging. Among foods eaten in 100-gram portions, turkey breast (23.7 g raw), pork loin (21.1 g) and shrimp or 90-percent-lean beef (about 20 g) top the practical list. Pure protein isolates (whey, egg white powder) run 80+ grams but are supplements, not foods.
Is chicken really higher in protein than beef?
Per 100 grams, they are closer than folklore says: raw skinless chicken breast runs about 22.5 grams and 90-percent-lean ground beef about 20.0. Chicken breast is leaner still in fat and calories, which is why it wins the fitness comparison - but beef carries more iron, zinc and B12 per bite. The honest answer is that both clear the protein bar and the choice is about the rest of the nutrient row.
Do plant proteins really need combining at one meal?
No - the 'complete at every meal' rule is outdated. Your body pools amino acids across the day, so a legume at lunch and a grain at dinner combine just fine. Lentils (9 g per 100 g cooked) and black beans (8.9 g) sit lower than meat per bite but carry fiber and no cholesterol, and soy foods break the pattern entirely: firm tofu runs 17.3 grams and tempeh 20.3, right inside the meat cluster.
Why is Greek yogurt higher in protein than regular yogurt?
Straining. Greek yogurt is regular yogurt with much of the whey (the watery part) removed, which concentrates everything left behind - the plain lowfat style in this table carries about 10 grams per 100 grams, roughly double unstrained yogurt. The same concentration logic explains hard cheese: parmesan is milk with water and lactose stripped away and a year of aging, landing at 28.4 grams per 100.