High-Protein Foods List: Veg, Vegan and More

Which foods give you the most protein for the fewest calories? Search, filter and sort 84 everyday foods you can buy almost anywhere, from chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, lentils and tofu to beans, cheeses, paneer and soya chunks, by protein per portion, per 100 g and per 100 calories.

Top 10 by protein density

The most protein per 100 calories, counting only foods that give at least 10 g of protein per portion. These rows are highlighted in the table.

    No foods match. Try a shorter search word or a different filter.

    All values are approximate. They come from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) and, for foods marked IFCT, from the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Cooked foods are weighed cooked; foods marked “dry” are weighed before soaking or cooking. Soya chunks use USDA values for defatted soy flour, the ingredient they are made from. Brands, recipes and cooking oil change the numbers, so check the label when you have one.

    What the columns mean

    • Portion: a realistic serving with its weight, so you can picture what you eat. Dry foods (lentils and other dry pulses, oats, soya chunks) are weighed before cooking.
    • Protein per portion: grams of protein in that serving. This is the number to add up across your day.
    • Protein per 100 g: the standard label figure. Useful for comparing packs, but it flatters dry foods (dry lentils, nuts) and penalises foods full of water (yogurt, cooked beans).
    • kcal per 100 g: how energy-dense the food is.
    • Protein per 100 kcal (protein density): grams of protein you get for every 100 calories. Higher means more protein for the same calories, which matters when you are trying to lose fat while keeping muscle. Chicken breast gives about 19 g per 100 kcal, non-fat Greek yogurt about 17 g, paneer about 7 g, and peanuts about 4 g.
    • Diet: Vegan (no animal foods), Veg (vegetarian with dairy), Egg, or Meat/fish. “Vegetarian + eggs” in the filter shows vegan, veg and egg foods.

    Use density and portion together. Mushrooms and spinach score well on density but give only 2 to 5 g of protein per serving, which is why the top 10 only counts foods with at least 10 g per portion. Nuts and seeds score low on density but are still a useful add-on in small amounts.

    Best vegetarian protein sources

    If you eat eggs, eggs and egg whites are the easiest start: two whole eggs give about 13 g, and egg whites are one of the most protein-dense foods on the list. If you eat dairy, the most protein-dense everyday choices are non-fat Greek yogurt (about 17 g in a 170 g tub) and low-fat cottage cheese (about 12 g in half a cup), followed by milk and plain yogurt at 8 to 9 g a glass or cup. Fresh cheeses such as paneer, ricotta and queso fresco are rich in protein but also in calories: paneer has about 19 g protein and 260 kcal per 100 g. Combine these with the vegan staples below, and a whey powder only if you find it convenient.

    Best vegan protein sources

    Soy leads: tofu, tempeh, edamame and cooked soybeans give about 10 to 30 g per serving, and dry soya chunks (textured soy protein) give about 15 g in a 30 g portion. Seitan, made from vital wheat gluten, is very protein-dense. Then come lentils, chickpeas, beans and split peas: about 14 to 18 g per cooked cup, plus fibre. Seeds such as hemp and pumpkin add 8 to 10 g a handful. Mixing soy, pulses and grains across the day gives you a good spread of amino acids.

    Food-by-food protein guides

    • Egg protein: whole eggs, whites and yolks compared
    • Chicken breast protein (coming 5 November 2026)
    • Tofu protein: firm, silken and extra-firm (coming 9 November 2026)
    • Greek yogurt vs curd protein (coming 12 November 2026)
    • Lentil protein, dry vs cooked (coming 16 November 2026)
    • Chickpea (chana) protein (coming 19 November 2026)
    • Cottage cheese protein (coming 23 November 2026)
    • Paneer protein: how much in 100 g and per serving
    • Moong dal protein, dry vs cooked (coming 26 November 2026)
    • Soya chunks protein (coming 30 November 2026)

    How much protein do you need?

    For men who strength train, research suggests muscle gains level off at about 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, with some people benefiting from up to about 2.2 g/kg, especially when losing fat. Older muscles also seem to need a bigger dose per meal, roughly 0.4 g/kg, to get the full muscle-building response. Get your own numbers with the protein calculator, then turn foods from this list into meals with the protein plate builder or a full week with the high-protein meal planner. For the background, read our guides to protein after 35 and plant-based eating for men.

    Sources

    1. USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy): nutrient values for most foods in the table
    2. Longvah T, et al. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR): paneer, dry dals, kala chana and horse gram
    3. Morton RW, et al. (2018). Protein supplementation and resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine
    4. Moore DR, et al. (2015). Protein needed per meal in older versus younger men. Journals of Gerontology Series A
    5. Schoenfeld BJ, Aragon AA (2018). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? JISSN

    This database is for general education, not medical advice. Food values are approximate and vary by brand, variety and cooking method. If you have kidney disease, diabetes or another health condition, or you have been told to limit protein, check with your doctor before changing your diet.

    More free tools: Protein calculator · Protein plate builder · High-protein meal planner · Healthy food swaps · All tools