Foods high in Protein
Builds and repairs tissue, drives enzymes and hormones. Made up of amino acids, nine of which the body can't make itself.
About Protein
Protein builds and repairs every tissue in the body, muscle, bone, skin, organs, and powers thousands of enzymes, hormones, and immune molecules. Unlike fat and carbohydrate, the body can't stockpile spare protein, so it needs a steady supply from food.
Protein is made of 20 amino acids, nine of which are essential, the body can't synthesise them. Animal foods (meat, eggs, dairy, fish) and soy supply all nine in good ratios. Most plant proteins are short on one or two essentials but combine well (rice with beans, grains with lentils) to cover everything across a day.
UK adults need about 0.75 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, roughly 50 g for an average adult. Active people, older adults, and those recovering from illness benefit from more (1.2-1.6 g/kg is common in sports-nutrition guidance). Spreading intake across meals supports muscle synthesis better than loading a single meal.
Foods high in protein, coley, eggs, eggs, and more
Ranked by how much you get per calorie, so foods are not rewarded for simply being dry or concentrated. Values from USDA FoodData Central, McCance & Widdowson's CoFID, ANSES Ciqual, and other public nutrition databases. Amounts in grams.
Per calorie is the default here because it answers what to eat: ranked purely by amount, a list of the richest foods fills up with dried and concentrated things nobody eats a plateful of. Switch to per 100 grams above if concentration is what you are after. Our foods low in protein list is measured per 100 grams instead, and that is deliberate too: per calorie would reward a food for carrying plenty of energy and none of the nutrient, which puts cooking oil below lettuce on a low-sodium list.
- Coley, flesh only, grilled 25.9g per 100 grams
- Eggs, chicken, white, raw 25.12g per 100 grams
- Eggs, chicken, white, boiled 25g per 100 grams
- Eggs, chicken, white, dried 24.98g per 100 grams
- Gelatine 24.97g per 100 grams
- Jelly crystals, intense sweetened, all flavours 24.45g per 100 grams
- Flying fish, raw 24.42g per 100 grams
- Haddock, flesh only, grilled 24.39g per 100 grams
- Gelatine, all types 24.37g per 100 grams
- Fish, cod, Pacific, cooked 24.31g per 100 grams
- Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, raw (Alaska Native) 24.27g per 100 grams
- Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked 24.22g per 100 grams
Need to cut back? See foods low in Protein
Common questions about Protein
- How much protein do I need per day?
- UK guidelines: about 0.75 g per kilogram of body weight, roughly 50 g for an average adult. Active people, older adults, and those recovering from illness benefit from 1.2-1.6 g/kg.
- What are the best sources of protein?
- Animal foods (meat, eggs, dairy, fish) and soy supply all nine essential amino acids in good ratios. Most other plant proteins are short on one or two essentials but combine well across a day, rice with beans, grains with lentils.
- Is plant protein as good as animal protein?
- Yes, if you eat a variety of plant sources. Different plant proteins are limited in different amino acids, so a mixed plant-based diet covers the full essential profile.
- Can you eat too much protein?
- For people with healthy kidneys, intake well above the RI poses no harm. Those with kidney disease may need to limit protein. Very high intakes (>2 g/kg) are usually unnecessary outside specific athletic contexts.