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Protein per calorie, ranked

Which staple foods deliver the most protein per calorie and per gram — computed from 86 USDA nutrition rows. Plus a bring-your-own-price box: it divides your package price by the protein inside.

86foods ranked

g protein / 100 kcalmetric 1

g protein / 100 gmetric 2

USDA-family indexdata

Density is not quality: these rankings measure grams, not amino-acid completeness or digestibility. A high rank means "efficient protein", not "the only food you need".

Ranked by protein per 100 kcal

The whole staple list, best protein-per-calorie first. Per 100 g of food as the index states it.
Food	Protein / 100 kcal	Protein / 100 g	Kcal / 100 g
Shrimp	24.2 g	24.0 g	99 kcal
Canned tuna	22.6 g	19.4 g	86 kcal
Turkey breast	21.9 g	29.5 g	135 kcal
Cod	21.7 g	22.8 g	105 kcal
Chicken breast	18.8 g	31.0 g	165 kcal
Greek yogurt	17.3 g	10.2 g	59 kcal
Tuna	16.3 g	29.9 g	184 kcal
Trout	14.2 g	23.8 g	168 kcal
Mushrooms	14.1 g	3.1 g	22 kcal
Salmon	14.0 g	25.4 g	182 kcal
Cottage cheese	13.0 g	10.5 g	81 kcal
Spinach	12.6 g	2.9 g	23 kcal
Sardines	11.8 g	24.6 g	208 kcal
Asparagus	10.9 g	2.4 g	22 kcal
Tofu	10.7 g	8.1 g	76 kcal
Tempeh	10.6 g	20.3 g	192 kcal
Ground beef	10.5 g	25.1 g	240 kcal
Edamame	8.8 g	12.4 g	141 kcal
Broccoli	8.2 g	2.8 g	34 kcal
Egg (hard-boiled)	8.1 g	12.6 g	155 kcal
Lentils	7.9 g	9.0 g	114 kcal
Mozzarella	7.4 g	22.2 g	299 kcal
Zucchini	7.1 g	1.2 g	17 kcal
Swiss cheese	6.9 g	27.0 g	393 kcal
Parmesan	6.8 g	28.4 g	420 kcal
Black beans	6.7 g	8.9 g	132 kcal
Kefir	6.7 g	3.5 g	52 kcal
Peas	6.4 g	5.4 g	84 kcal
Ricotta	6.3 g	11.0 g	174 kcal
Yogurt	5.7 g	3.5 g	61 kcal
Chickpeas	5.4 g	8.9 g	164 kcal
Pumpkin seeds	5.4 g	30.2 g	559 kcal
Feta	5.4 g	14.2 g	265 kcal
Whole milk	5.2 g	3.2 g	61 kcal
Cabbage	5.2 g	1.3 g	25 kcal
Tomato	5.0 g	0.9 g	18 kcal
Cucumber	4.7 g	0.7 g	15 kcal
Peanuts	4.6 g	25.8 g	567 kcal
Oats	4.3 g	16.9 g	389 kcal
Whole-wheat pasta	4.0 g	6.0 g	149 kcal
Eggplant	4.0 g	1.0 g	25 kcal
Bell pepper	3.8 g	1.0 g	26 kcal
Beet	3.7 g	1.6 g	43 kcal
Peanut butter	3.7 g	22.2 g	598 kcal
Buckwheat	3.7 g	3.4 g	92 kcal
Pasta	3.7 g	5.8 g	157 kcal
Quinoa	3.7 g	4.4 g	120 kcal
Almonds	3.7 g	21.2 g	579 kcal
Pistachios	3.6 g	20.2 g	560 kcal
Bulgur	3.6 g	12.3 g	342 kcal
Sunflower seeds	3.6 g	20.8 g	584 kcal
Corn	3.5 g	3.4 g	96 kcal
Pumpkin	3.5 g	0.7 g	20 kcal
Flaxseed	3.4 g	18.3 g	534 kcal
Chia seeds	3.4 g	16.5 g	486 kcal
Couscous	3.4 g	3.8 g	112 kcal
Hummus	3.3 g	7.8 g	237 kcal
Cashews	3.3 g	18.2 g	553 kcal
Rye bread	3.3 g	8.5 g	259 kcal
Crispbread	3.0 g	11.0 g	367 kcal
Onion	2.8 g	1.1 g	40 kcal
Basmati rice	2.4 g	8.7 g	356 kcal
Walnuts	2.3 g	15.2 g	654 kcal
Raspberries	2.3 g	1.2 g	52 kcal
Sweet potato	2.2 g	2.0 g	90 kcal
Brown rice	2.2 g	2.7 g	123 kcal
Carrot	2.2 g	0.9 g	41 kcal
Strawberries	2.2 g	0.7 g	32 kcal
Potato (boiled)	2.2 g	1.9 g	87 kcal
White rice	2.1 g	2.7 g	130 kcal
Watermelon	2.0 g	0.6 g	30 kcal
Orange	1.9 g	0.9 g	47 kcal
Barley	1.9 g	2.3 g	123 kcal
Kiwi	1.8 g	1.1 g	61 kcal
Avocado	1.3 g	2.0 g	160 kcal
Banana	1.2 g	1.1 g	89 kcal
Blueberries	1.2 g	0.7 g	57 kcal
Sour cream	1.2 g	2.4 g	198 kcal
Cranberry	1.1 g	0.5 g	46 kcal
Grapes	1.0 g	0.7 g	69 kcal
Dark chocolate	0.9 g	4.9 g	546 kcal
Pear	0.7 g	0.4 g	57 kcal
Apple	0.6 g	0.3 g	52 kcal
Butter	0.1 g	0.9 g	717 kcal
Honey	0.1 g	0.3 g	304 kcal
Olive oil	0.0 g	0.0 g	884 kcal

Ranked by protein per 100 g

The same list re-sorted by grams of protein per 100 g of food.
Food	Protein / 100 g	Protein / 100 kcal	Kcal / 100 g
Chicken breast	31.0 g	18.8 g	165 kcal
Pumpkin seeds	30.2 g	5.4 g	559 kcal
Tuna	29.9 g	16.3 g	184 kcal
Turkey breast	29.5 g	21.9 g	135 kcal
Parmesan	28.4 g	6.8 g	420 kcal
Swiss cheese	27.0 g	6.9 g	393 kcal
Peanuts	25.8 g	4.6 g	567 kcal
Salmon	25.4 g	14.0 g	182 kcal
Ground beef	25.1 g	10.5 g	240 kcal
Sardines	24.6 g	11.8 g	208 kcal
Shrimp	24.0 g	24.2 g	99 kcal
Trout	23.8 g	14.2 g	168 kcal
Cod	22.8 g	21.7 g	105 kcal
Mozzarella	22.2 g	7.4 g	299 kcal
Peanut butter	22.2 g	3.7 g	598 kcal
Almonds	21.2 g	3.7 g	579 kcal
Sunflower seeds	20.8 g	3.6 g	584 kcal
Tempeh	20.3 g	10.6 g	192 kcal
Pistachios	20.2 g	3.6 g	560 kcal
Canned tuna	19.4 g	22.6 g	86 kcal
Flaxseed	18.3 g	3.4 g	534 kcal
Cashews	18.2 g	3.3 g	553 kcal
Oats	16.9 g	4.3 g	389 kcal
Chia seeds	16.5 g	3.4 g	486 kcal
Walnuts	15.2 g	2.3 g	654 kcal
Feta	14.2 g	5.4 g	265 kcal
Egg (hard-boiled)	12.6 g	8.1 g	155 kcal
Edamame	12.4 g	8.8 g	141 kcal
Bulgur	12.3 g	3.6 g	342 kcal
Ricotta	11.0 g	6.3 g	174 kcal
Crispbread	11.0 g	3.0 g	367 kcal
Cottage cheese	10.5 g	13.0 g	81 kcal
Greek yogurt	10.2 g	17.3 g	59 kcal
Lentils	9.0 g	7.9 g	114 kcal
Chickpeas	8.9 g	5.4 g	164 kcal
Black beans	8.9 g	6.7 g	132 kcal
Basmati rice	8.7 g	2.4 g	356 kcal
Rye bread	8.5 g	3.3 g	259 kcal
Tofu	8.1 g	10.7 g	76 kcal
Hummus	7.8 g	3.3 g	237 kcal
Whole-wheat pasta	6.0 g	4.0 g	149 kcal
Pasta	5.8 g	3.7 g	157 kcal
Peas	5.4 g	6.4 g	84 kcal
Dark chocolate	4.9 g	0.9 g	546 kcal
Quinoa	4.4 g	3.7 g	120 kcal
Couscous	3.8 g	3.4 g	112 kcal
Kefir	3.5 g	6.7 g	52 kcal
Yogurt	3.5 g	5.7 g	61 kcal
Buckwheat	3.4 g	3.7 g	92 kcal
Corn	3.4 g	3.5 g	96 kcal
Whole milk	3.2 g	5.2 g	61 kcal
Mushrooms	3.1 g	14.1 g	22 kcal
Spinach	2.9 g	12.6 g	23 kcal
Broccoli	2.8 g	8.2 g	34 kcal
White rice	2.7 g	2.1 g	130 kcal
Brown rice	2.7 g	2.2 g	123 kcal
Asparagus	2.4 g	10.9 g	22 kcal
Sour cream	2.4 g	1.2 g	198 kcal
Barley	2.3 g	1.9 g	123 kcal
Sweet potato	2.0 g	2.2 g	90 kcal
Avocado	2.0 g	1.3 g	160 kcal
Potato (boiled)	1.9 g	2.2 g	87 kcal
Beet	1.6 g	3.7 g	43 kcal
Cabbage	1.3 g	5.2 g	25 kcal
Zucchini	1.2 g	7.1 g	17 kcal
Raspberries	1.2 g	2.3 g	52 kcal
Onion	1.1 g	2.8 g	40 kcal
Banana	1.1 g	1.2 g	89 kcal
Kiwi	1.1 g	1.8 g	61 kcal
Bell pepper	1.0 g	3.8 g	26 kcal
Eggplant	1.0 g	4.0 g	25 kcal
Carrot	0.9 g	2.2 g	41 kcal
Tomato	0.9 g	5.0 g	18 kcal
Orange	0.9 g	1.9 g	47 kcal
Butter	0.9 g	0.1 g	717 kcal
Cucumber	0.7 g	4.7 g	15 kcal
Pumpkin	0.7 g	3.5 g	20 kcal
Strawberries	0.7 g	2.2 g	32 kcal
Blueberries	0.7 g	1.2 g	57 kcal
Grapes	0.7 g	1.0 g	69 kcal
Watermelon	0.6 g	2.0 g	30 kcal
Cranberry	0.5 g	1.1 g	46 kcal
Pear	0.4 g	0.7 g	57 kcal
Apple	0.3 g	0.6 g	52 kcal
Honey	0.3 g	0.1 g	304 kcal
Olive oil	0.0 g	0.0 g	884 kcal

What your package actually costs per protein

This box computes from your receipt, not from a price list: what you paid, divided by the grams of protein the package delivers.

FoodPackage size (g)Price you paid

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How to read both rankings

Per-calorie ranking favours lean, high-protein foods — cod, chicken breast, egg whites. Per-gram ranking favours dense foods — hard cheese, soy, cured meats — but some of them carry a lot of calories with the protein. Which one you want depends on whether the constraint is your calorie budget or your plate space. Both columns are shown on every row so the two never hide each other.

Source: USDA FoodData Central (via the baked nutrition index) · checked 2026-09-03

Frequently asked questions

What does protein per 100 kcal mean?

It is how much of a food's energy comes as protein: grams of protein divided by calories, scaled to 100 kcal. Lean fish and egg whites score high; nuts score low despite their protein because they bring so much fat.

Is protein density the same as protein quality?

No. This page measures quantity — grams per calorie and per gram. It does not measure amino-acid completeness or digestibility. A food can rank well here and still be an incomplete protein source.

Why are there no prices on this page?

Because this site refuses to invent them. Prices change weekly and by store. The box divides YOUR price by the protein the package actually contains, and nothing else prints a currency figure.

Which ranking should I use?

Per 100 kcal when you care about calorie budget; per 100 g when you care about what is on the plate. They genuinely disagree — that is the point of showing both.

Know the density, hit the target

TempoLife tracks protein against your daily target, so the ranking on this page becomes a logged day.

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