Excellent Food Sources of Protein
Atria.org / Health Education / Excellent Food Sources of Protein
Protein is a crucial component of muscle, bone, brain, hormonal, and metabolic health.
Many factors affect how much protein you should consume, but Atria’s experts believe that most people need more than the official recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 0.36 grams per pound of body weight per day. Somewhere around 0.5 to 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight is appropriate for most people. For a 165-pound person, that’s roughly 80 to 120 grams of protein per day.
These charts can help you determine how much protein is in foods you regularly eat.
Animal protein
Animal protein
4 oz portion (g)
6 oz portion (g)
Chicken breast
35
52
Turkey breast
34
51
Lean ground beef (90%)
30
45
Ground bison
29
43
Ground turkey
31
46
Ground chicken
26
40
Pork tenderloin
29
43
Lamb loin
25
38
Veal
27
40
Dairy proteins
Dairy proteins
4 oz portion (g)
6 oz portion (g)
Greek yogurt (whole milk)
10
15
Greek yogurt (non-fat)
11
16.5
Cottage cheese (4%)
13
20
Cottage cheese (low-fat)
14
21
Ricotta cheese (part skim)
10
15
Milk (2%)
8
12
Cheddar cheese
7
10.5
Parmesan cheese (shredded)
10*
30*
*For Parmesan cheese, the values are for 1 oz and 3 oz respectively, not 4 oz and 6 oz.
Fish & seafood proteins
Fish & seafood proteins
4 oz portion (g)
6 oz portion (g)
Salmon
29
43
Tuna (canned in water)
26
39
Cod
24
36
Sardines
22
33
Halibut
27
41
Tilapia
26
39
Shrimp
23
35
Scallops
20
30
Egg-based protein
Egg-based proteins
Portion
Protein (g)
Whole eggs (large)
1 egg
6
Whole eggs (large)
2 eggs
12
Protein powders
Protein powders
Portion
Protein (g)
Whey protein isolate
1 scoop
24-28
Casein protein
1 scoop
24
Egg white protein
1 scoop
20-25
Pea protein
1 scoop
20-25
Rice protein
1 scoop
18-22
Hemp protein
1 scoop
12-15
Mixed plant protein
1 scoop
20-25
Plant-based proteins
Plant-based proteins
4 oz portion (g)
6 oz portion (g)
Tofu (firm)
10
15
Tempeh
16
24
Lentils
9
14
Black beans
8
12
Chickpeas
9
13.5
Quinoa
8
12
Edamame
13
20
Peas
5
7.5
Seed and nut proteins
Seed and nut proteins
Portion
Protein (g)
Hemp seeds
3 tbsp
10
Chia seeds
2 tbsp
5
Pumpkin seeds
1 oz
7
Almonds
1 oz
6
Sources: Cronometer and Nutrition Coordinating Center Food & Nutrient Database (NCCDB)
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