High-protein foods: a simple UK chart, per portion and per calorie

28 everyday foods from UK supermarkets, with the protein in a usual portion, the calories, and how much protein you get for every 100 kcal.

Free · 28 foods, a top 10 and a printable chart · Updated 1 October 2026

Protein food chart

From parrotpal.com/high-protein-foods-uk · Approximate values from typical UK labels: check the label. Weight loss pick = at least 10 g protein per 100 kcal (ParrotPal’s simple guide).

High-protein foods

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Showing all 28 foods, most protein per portion first.

High-protein foods chart: protein per portion, calories, protein per 100 kcal and per 100 g

Food, per portion	Protein	kcal	Protein per 100 kcal	Protein per 100 g
Chicken breast100 g, cooked · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	30 g	160	19 g	30 g
Tuna in spring waterone tin, drained · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	26 g	115	23 g	per portion only
5% fat beef mince125 g, raw · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	26 g	170	15 g	21 graw weight
Salmon fillet110 g · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	23 g	230	10 g	21 g
Cod fillet125 g · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	22 g	100	22 g	18 g
Cooked king prawns150 g · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	22 g	100	22 g	15 g
Protein shake, ready to drinkone bottle or carton · VegetarianWeight loss pick	about 20 g	about 130	about 15 g	per portion only
Firm tofu150 g · Vegan-friendlyWeight loss pick	19 g	180	11 g	13 g
0% Greek yogurt170 g pot · VegetarianWeight loss pick	17 g	95	18 g	10 g
Skyr150 g · VegetarianWeight loss pick	16 g	95	17 g	11 g
Cottage cheese150 g · VegetarianWeight loss pick	15 g	120	13 g	10 g
Turkey breast slices60 g · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	14 g	60	23 g	23 g
Quorn mince100 g · VegetarianWeight loss pick	14 g	105	13 g	14 g
Eggstwo medium · Vegetarian	13 g	150	9 g	per portion only
Lean ham60 g · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	12 g	65	18 g	20 g
Quark100 g · VegetarianWeight loss pick	12 g	65	18 g	12 g
Beef jerky25 g · Meat and fishWeight loss pick	11 g	70	16 g	44 g
Light mozzarella60 g · VegetarianWeight loss pick	11 g	100	11 g	18 g
Semi-skimmed milk300 ml glass · Vegetarian	11 g	140	8 g	3.7 gper 100 ml
Red lentils40 g, dry · Vegan-friendly	10 g	130	8 g	25 gdry weight
Edamame beans80 g · Vegan-friendly	9 g	100	9 g	11 g
Baked beanshalf a tin (200 g) · Vegan-friendly	9 g	160	6 g	4.5 g
Reduced-fat cheddar30 g · Vegetarian	8 g	95	8 g	27 g
Roasted chickpeas30 g · Vegan-friendly	6 g	120	5 g	20 g
Light mini cheeseone 20 g round · VegetarianWeight loss pick	5 g	42	12 g	25 g
Oats40 g, dry · Vegan-friendly	5 g	150	3 g	13 gdry weight
Wholemeal bread1 slice · Vegan-friendly	4 g	90	4 g	per portion only
Peanut butter15 g · Vegan-friendly	4 g	90	4 g	27 g

Approximate, from typical UK supermarket labels. Brands vary, so check the label. A weight loss pick gives at least 10 g of protein per 100 kcal: that’s ParrotPal’s simple guide, not an official rule. Per 100 g is shown only where the portion weight is known.

“Vegetarian” includes eggs, dairy and the vegan-friendly foods. Quorn mince contains egg. The protein shake is vegan only if it’s plant-based. For cheese, look for the vegetarian mark, as some is made with animal rennet.

Top 10 high-protein foods, by protein per calorie

These give the most protein for their calories. It’s the most useful ranking if you’re eating less, because each one helps your protein without using up many calories.

Top 10 high-protein foods by protein per 100 kcal

Food, per portion	Per 100 kcal	Per portion
1Turkey breast slices, 60 g	23 g	14 g in 60 kcal
2Tuna in spring water, one tin, drained	23 g	26 g in 115 kcal
3Cod fillet, 125 g	22 g	22 g in 100 kcal
4Cooked king prawns, 150 g	22 g	22 g in 100 kcal
5Chicken breast, 100 g, cooked	19 g	30 g in 160 kcal
6Lean ham, 60 g	18 g	12 g in 65 kcal
7Quark, 100 g	18 g	12 g in 65 kcal
80% Greek yogurt, 170 g pot	18 g	17 g in 95 kcal
9Skyr, 150 g	17 g	16 g in 95 kcal
10Beef jerky, 25 g	16 g	11 g in 70 kcal

Approximate, from typical UK labels. Check the label.

High-protein foods for weight loss

Protein tends to be filling, and a food that carries a lot of it for few calories makes a day of eating less easier to stick to. When you eat less, enough protein alongside strength training also helps you hold on to muscle, so more of what you lose is fat.

On this page, a weight loss pick gives at least 10 g of protein for every 100 kcal. That’s ParrotPal’s simple guide, not an official rule. 18 of the 28 foods meet it:

• Meat and fish: Turkey breast slices, tuna in spring water, cod fillet, cooked king prawns, chicken breast, lean ham, beef jerky, 5% fat beef mince and salmon fillet.
• Vegetarian (eggs, dairy and more): Quark, 0% Greek yogurt, skyr, protein shake, ready to drink, Quorn mince, cottage cheese, light mini cheese and light mozzarella.
• Vegan-friendly: Firm tofu.

Eggs, milk, reduced-fat cheddar, edamame and lentils fall just short, at about 8 to 9 g per 100 kcal, and they’re still useful foods. Peanut butter, oats and bread give about 3 to 4 g, so treat them as the extras, not the protein.

Highest-protein foods per 100 g

Per 100 g is what the back of the pack shows, so it’s handy for comparing two brands of the same food. Here are the highest in our chart, where the portion weight is known:

• Beef jerky: about 44 g per 100 g. A usual portion (25 g) gives 11 g.
• Chicken breast: about 30 g per 100 g. A usual portion (100 g, cooked) gives 30 g.
• Reduced-fat cheddar: about 27 g per 100 g. A usual portion (30 g) gives 8 g.
• Peanut butter: about 27 g per 100 g. A usual portion (15 g) gives 4 g.
• Light mini cheese: about 25 g per 100 g. A usual portion (one 20 g round) gives 5 g.
• Red lentils: about 25 g per 100 g (weighed dry). A usual portion (40 g, dry) gives 10 g.
• Turkey breast slices: about 23 g per 100 g. A usual portion (60 g) gives 14 g.
• Salmon fillet: about 21 g per 100 g. A usual portion (110 g) gives 23 g.

Per 100 g favours dry, dense foods you eat in small amounts. Peanut butter scores high per 100 g, but a usual 15 g spread gives 4 g of protein for 90 kcal. That’s why the chart leads with protein per portion and per calorie.

How much protein do you need a day?

The UK reference nutrient intake for adults is 0.75 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, and it’s set to prevent deficiency. If you’re losing weight or want to keep your muscle, more helps. A review of 49 trials (Morton et al., 2018, British Journal of Sports Medicine) found that, with strength training, extra muscle from more protein levelled off at around 1.6 g per kg of body weight a day. That's an average: some people do better on more, up to about 2.2 g per kg, so treat it as a target to reach rather than a ceiling.

ParrotPal uses 1.6 g per kg, counting your weight only up to a healthy weight for your height, rounded to 5 g. The protein calculator works out your number in about 10 seconds.

Building a day from the chart

The simplest habit is 25 to 30 g of protein at each meal, with a snack when you’re short. Pick one food from near the top of the chart for each meal, then add vegetables and a smaller portion of bread, rice or potatoes. Here’s one day, using only foods from the chart:

An example day from the chart

Meal	Protein	kcal
Breakfast0% Greek yogurt pot with 40 g oats and 15 g peanut butter	26 g	335
LunchA tin of tuna on a slice of wholemeal toast, with salad	30 g	205
DinnerSalmon fillet with 80 g edamame beans and vegetables	32 g	330
SnackSkyr, 150 g	16 g	95
The day	104 g	965

That’s about 104 g of protein in about 965 kcal from the foods listed, before vegetables, fruit, sauces and anything else you eat. Approximate; check the label.

On a GLP-1 medicine such as Mounjaro or Wegovy, many people find four smaller sittings easier than three meals. Our Mounjaro meal plan builds a week of small, protein-first meals.

Protein food chart to print

Print the chart above as one clean A4 page for the fridge or your shopping. It prints all 28 foods, in whatever order you’ve sorted them. To keep a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in the print window.

Print the protein food chart

What’s your own protein number?

The chart tells you where the protein is. The protein calculator works out your own daily number from your height and weight in about 10 seconds.

Work out my protein High-protein, low-calorie meals Get your free LeanShield score

Questions people ask

Also from ParrotPal

• Protein calculator
• High-protein snacks
• High-protein vegetarian meals
• A 7-day Mounjaro meal plan