Foods High in Protein: UK Figures Per 100 g and Per Portion

The foods with the most protein per portion in the UK national dataset are lean meat, poultry and fish, at roughly 30 to 42 g in a cooked portion, then eggs, dairy, tempeh, tofu and pulses. Per 100 kcal the order changes: king prawns, cod, tuna in brine, turkey breast, quark and mycoprotein lead.¹ Below: protein per 100 g, per portion and per 100 kcal, with dataset codes. How much to aim for is on how much protein you need a day; the plant foods in full are in vegan protein sources; see also foods high in iron and foods high in vitamin B12.

Which foods are highest in protein?

Every figure is from McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID, 2021), for the food as eaten, cooked or drained, unless the row says dry or raw; rows run meat and poultry, fish and seafood, eggs and dairy, then plant foods. Portions are editorial; the per-100 kcal column divides protein by energy, so a mostly-protein food scores high even in a light portion.¹

Digestibility: in a 2019 human study, cooked chickpeas, yellow peas and mung beans delivered 74.6%, 71.6% and 63.2% of their essential amino acids by the end of the small intestine, so the pulse rows read a little generously; the quality scores behind that, and what a complete protein is (a description of composition, not a benefit), are on that page.² The meat and fish rows also lead what foods contain creatine.

What counts as "high in protein" on a label?

Two legal definitions. A food may be called a source of protein when at least 12% of its energy value comes from protein, and high in protein at 20%.³ Work it out from any label as protein grams times 4 kcal, the labelling conversion factor, divided by the kcal.⁴ From the table, cod draws 93% of its energy from protein, chicken breast 86%, tempeh 50%, red lentils 32%, wholemeal bread 17%, almonds and peanut butter 15%. So those three are sources but not high; every meat, fish, egg, soya and pulse row clears 20%, and every dairy row except Greek-style yoghurt (17%). The same condition applies to the nutrient's authorised wording in the Great Britain register: "Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass", "Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass" and "Protein contributes to the maintenance of normal bones", each only for a food that is at least a source of protein.⁵

Which high-protein foods have the fewest calories?

Read the per-100 kcal column: king prawns 23.8 g, cod 23.2, tuna in brine 22.8, turkey breast 22.6, chicken breast 21.6, quark 19.7, mycoprotein 19.2; cottage cheese 9.1 and fried tofu 9.0 in the middle; salmon 10.9, and cheese, nuts and seeds about 4 to 8, because fat carries most of their energy.¹ Neither order is better: a 120 g salmon fillet still gives 30 g. If you are eating less, this column is the useful one, and protein when appetite is much reduced has its own page.

How much protein is in eggs, milk, yoghurt and cheese?

Two boiled eggs (100 g) give 14.1 g; a 250 ml glass of semi-skimmed milk 8.8 g. Cheese is dense per 100 g, small per portion: cheddar is 25.4 g per 100 g but a 30 g matchbox gives 7.6 g. A 150 g pot of cottage cheese gives 14.1 g and of quark 21.9 g. Yoghurt needs the label: the dataset's Greek-style row is 5.7 g per 100 g, while strained products typically label 9 to 11 g.¹

Which plant foods are high in protein?

Per portion the soya foods lead, 150 g of fried firm tofu at 35.2 g and 100 g of tempeh at 20.7 g, then 200 g of cooked red lentils (16.2 g), 100 g of mycoprotein pieces (14.0 g) and half a tin of beans or chickpeas (about 10 g); nuts and seeds are high per 100 g and modest per handful.¹ Dried soya mince and chunks take up water as they cook, so dry and as-eaten figures differ; that page gives both. The full plant table is on vegan protein sources.

How much protein do you need, and what does 60 g look like?

The UK dietary reference value for adults is 0.75 g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day, set in 1991 and carried in the government's dietary recommendations, which the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition advises on, as 45 g for a woman and 55.5 g for a man aged 19 to 64; the higher bands for people who train and for adults over 65 are on how much protein you need a day.⁶ The NHS Eatwell Guide (reviewed 29 November 2022) says "Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other protein foods" and that "These foods are good sources of protein, vitamins and minerals".⁷ Sixty grams from the table: a 120 g chicken breast (38.4 g), two eggs (14.1 g) and a glass of semi-skimmed milk (8.8 g) make 61 g; 150 g of fried tofu (35.2 g), 200 g of red lentils (16.2 g) and two slices of wholemeal bread (7.5 g) make 59 g.¹

Does the source of protein matter?

Less than the total. In a 2025 pooled analysis of 30 randomised trials, plant protein gave slightly less muscle mass than animal protein (standardised mean difference -0.20), in adults under 60 and not over 60; soya and milk protein did not differ across 17 trials; animal protein came out ahead of non-soya single sources (rice, chia, oat and potato; 5 trials) and of plant-based diets (7 trials); strength (14 trials) and physical performance (5) did not differ, and the authors call the effect small.⁸ The total comes first, then its spread: in a crossover study of 8 adults, about 30 g at each of three meals gave 25% higher 24-hour muscle protein synthesis than 10, 16 and 63 g skewed towards dinner.⁹ So read the table per meal: a portion of meat, fish, tofu or tempeh, or two from eggs, dairy and pulses, is about 30 g.

Frequently asked questions

What food has the most protein per 100 g?

Pork loin chop 35.1 g, turkey breast 35.0, chicken breast 32.0, then peanuts 25.8, cheddar 25.4 and salmon 25.2. Per portion a handful of nuts gives 6 to 8 g and a matchbox of cheddar 7.6 g, while 120 g of cooked meat gives roughly 30 to 42 g, which is why per-100 g lists mislead.¹

How much protein is in chicken breast?

Grilled without skin, 32.0 g per 100 g at 148 kcal (code 18-323): 38.4 g in a 120 g cooked breast.¹

Is pasta or rice a source of protein?

Pasta is, by the 12% test; rice is not. Boiled white pasta is 5.5 g per 100 g at 169 kcal (13% of energy; 9.9 g in 180 g, code 11-1129), wholewheat spaghetti 5.2 g at 134 kcal (about 16%; 9.4 g in 180 g, 11-723), boiled brown rice 3.6 g at 132 kcal (11%; 6.5 g in 180 g, 11-869).^{1, 3}

Which vegetables are high in protein?

None by the portion, several by the calorie. Boiled broccoli is 3.3 g per 100 g with 47% of its energy from protein (11.8 g per 100 kcal, 13-503), spinach 2.2 g (11.6 g per 100 kcal, 13-573); an 80 g serving of either gives 2 to 3 g. A medium baked potato gives 4.5 g, half an avocado 1.4 g.¹

Is protein powder a food?

Yes: a food of typically about 20 g of protein a serving on UK labels, level with 100 g of tempeh; what a plant-based one contains is on is vegan protein powder healthy.

Sources

1. Public Health England. McCance and Widdowson's Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID), 2021. gov.uk.
2. Kashyap S, et al. True ileal digestibility of legumes determined by dual-isotope tracer method in Indian adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2019. PubMed 31374575.
3. Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006, Annex: "source of protein" and "high protein". legislation.gov.uk.
4. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIV: conversion factors. legislation.gov.uk.
5. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register, last updated 19 May 2026. gov.uk.
6. Public Health England. Government dietary recommendations, 2016. gov.uk.
7. NHS. The Eatwell Guide (reviewed 29 November 2022). nhs.uk.
8. Reid-McCann RJ, et al. Effect of plant versus animal protein on muscle mass, strength, physical performance, and sarcopenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Reviews, 2025. PubMed 39813010.
9. Mamerow MM, et al. Dietary protein distribution positively influences 24-h muscle protein synthesis in healthy adults. Journal of Nutrition, 2014. PubMed 24477298.

General information, not medical advice: anyone with kidney disease sets their protein intake with their GP or dietitian.