Nutrient ranking · USDA SR Legacy & Foundation

Highest Protein Foods

According to USDA FoodData Central (refreshed July 2026), top 50 whole foods ranked by protein content per 100g serving.

50
Foods ranked
88.3g
Top: Soy protein…
Protein
Ranked by

The verdict

Soy protein isolate tops every USDA reference food at 88.3g per 100 g - and the 50ᵗʰ-ranked food still delivers 48.0g, so every food on this list is a genuinely strong source of protein.

88.3g
top - Soy protein isolate
48.0g
the bar to make the top 50
50
whole foods ranked

Values from USDA laboratory analysis. Verify with USDA FoodData Central → · FDA labeling rules →

Top 15 by protein

Whole foods ranked per 100 g, USDA reference data

  1. 1 Soy protein isolate 88.3g
  2. 2 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 88.3g
  3. 3 Gelatins, dry powder 85.6g
  4. 4 Egg, white 84.1g
  5. 5 Seal, bearded (Oogruk) 82.6g
  6. 6 Egg, white 82.4g
  7. 7 Egg, white 81.1g
  8. 8 Egg, white 79.9g
  9. 9 Beverages, Protein powder whey based 78.1g
  10. 10 Steelhead trout, dried 77.3g
  11. 11 Egg, white 76.9g
  12. 12 Vital wheat gluten 75.2g
  13. 13 Whale, beluga 69.9g
  14. 14 Beverages, ABBOTT 66.7g
  15. 15 Soy protein concentrate, produced by… 63.6g
Protein (g/100g) Source: USDA FoodData Central (July 2026)

The bar to make this top 50

Where the 50th-ranked food's protein per 100g sits among every USDA reference (whole) food, so you can see how selective this ranking really is.

Protein per 100g, the top-50 cut-off vs every USDA reference food

USDA reference (whole) foods with a value for this nutrient

48 Top 1% higher than 99% of 7,880 USDA reference foods

0–5: 2,829 USDA reference foods (36%). Below this entry. 5–10: 1,170 USDA reference foods (15%). Below this entry. 10–15: 863 USDA reference foods (11%). Below this entry. 15–20: 783 USDA reference foods (10%). Below this entry. 20–25: 1,085 USDA reference foods (14%). Below this entry. 25–30: 826 USDA reference foods (10%). Below this entry. 30–35: 230 USDA reference foods (3%). Below this entry. 35–40: 32 USDA reference foods (0%). Below this entry. 40–45: 9 USDA reference foods (0%). Below this entry. 45–50: 11 USDA reference foods (0%). This entry sits in this band. 50–55: 42 USDA reference foods (1%). Above this entry. 55–60: 0 USDA reference foods (0%). Above this entry. Top-50 cut-off 0 60 every USDA reference food, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more USDA reference foods. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy & Foundation · July 2026

Is the top food also the best value?

Each of the top 50 foods plotted by protein against calories per 100g -- the highest-ranked food isn't always the most efficient pick.

#1 (Soy protein isolate): 88.3g protein, 335 kcal per 100g -- median across the top 50

46.057.168.279.390.3232.8332.9433533.1633.2Protein / 100gCalories / 100gLower value, heavierHigh value, heavierLower value, lighterBest value: high, light
#1 (Soy protein isolate): 88.3g protein, 335 kcal per 100g -- median across the top 50

Reading the Highest Protein Foods Ranking

According to USDA FoodData Central (April 2026 release), the Highest Protein Foods ranking surfaces 50 whole foods from the Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases, ordered by protein per 100g serving. The number-one food on this list is Soy protein isolate, delivering 88.3g and carrying 335 calories in the same 100g portion. That combination of calorie count and protein is what makes the top of the ranking genuinely useful: high nutrient value against a reasonable calorie cost.

Top 50 whole foods ranked by protein content per 100g serving Because branded and processed foods are excluded, every entry here reflects a whole-food ingredient: raw or minimally prepared, with nutrient values from USDA laboratory analysis rather than manufacturer-submitted labels. The top five, Soy protein isolate, Soy protein isolate, Gelatins, Egg, Seal, span multiple food groups, which matters for meal planning: a high-protein diet built entirely on one food group will miss other nutrients that rotating across groups naturally supplies. The visual bars beside each row scale against the maximum, so a food halfway down the list with a three-quarter bar is still a strong source rather than a distant also-ran.

Rankings like this work best as shopping-list anchors rather than as strict eating rules. A food scoring high on protein may still bring sodium, saturated fat, or other considerations that matter for specific diets, which is why each food in the table links to a full FDA-format nutrition label with macros, micronutrients, and daily values. Use the other diet rankings (keto-friendly, high-fiber, low-calorie, best protein-to-calorie ratio) to triangulate foods that satisfy multiple goals at once. For interpretation help, the nutrition guides explain how to balance rankings against real-world portion sizes and daily value targets.

→ Compare the top three highest protein foods side-by-side

# Food Protein
1 Soy protein isolate 88.3g
2 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 88.3g
3 Gelatins, dry powder, unsweetened 85.6g
4 Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 84.1g
5 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) 82.6g
6 Egg, white, dried, powder, stabilized, glucose reduced 82.4g
7 Egg, white, dried 81.1g
8 Egg, white, dried 79.9g
9 Beverages, Protein powder whey based 78.1g
10 Steelhead trout, dried, flesh (Shoshone Bannock) 77.3g
11 Egg, white, dried, flakes, stabilized, glucose reduced 76.9g
12 Vital wheat gluten 75.2g
13 Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 69.9g
14 Beverages, ABBOTT, EAS whey protein powder 66.7g
15 Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction 63.6g
16 Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash 63.6g
17 Fish, cod, Atlantic, dried and salted 62.8g
18 Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native) 62.4g
19 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, partially dried (Alaska Native) 62.4g
20 Fish, salmon, chum, dried (Alaska Native) 62.1g
21 Snacks, pork skins, plain 61.3g
22 Salmon, red (sockeye), filets with skin, smoked (Alaska Native) 60.6g
23 Fish, herring eggs, Pacific, dry (Alaska Native) 60.4g
24 Caribou, shoulder meat, dried (Alaska Native) 59.4g
25 Beverages, Whey protein powder isolate 58.1g
26 Snacks, pork skins, barbecue-flavor 57.9g
27 Seaweed, spirulina, dried 57.5g
28 Walrus, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 57.0g
29 Smelt, dried (Alaska Native) 56.2g
30 Beverages, Protein powder soy based 55.6g
31 Egg substitute, powder 55.5g
32 Gelatin desserts, dry mix, reduced calorie, with aspartame, added phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin C 55.3g
33 Gelatin desserts, dry mix, reduced calorie, with aspartame, no added sodium 55.3g
34 Beverages, nutritional shake mix, high protein, powder 53.6g
35 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu) 52.5g
36 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu), prepared with calcium sulfate 52.4g
37 Peanut flour, defatted 52.2g
38 Caribou, rump meat, half dried (Alaska Native) 52.1g
39 Soy flour, defatted 51.5g
40 Flour, soy, defatted 51.1g
41 Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat 50.1g
42 Protein supplement, milk based, Muscle Milk Light, powder 50.0g
43 Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) 49.8g
44 Soy flour, low-fat 49.8g
45 Soy meal, defatted, raw 49.2g
46 Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) 49.1g
47 Egg, whole, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 48.2g
48 Egg, whole, dried 48.1g
49 Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted 48.1g
50 Egg, whole, dried 48.0g

Frequently Asked Questions

What food has the most protein per 100g? ▼

Soy protein isolate has the highest amount with 88.3g per 100g.

How much protein do I need per day? ▼

The recommended daily intake is 0.8g per kg of body weight for adults, or about 50g for a 2,000-calorie diet. Athletes and active individuals may need 1.2–2.0g per kg.

Is plant protein as good as animal protein? ▼

Both plant and animal proteins provide amino acids. Animal proteins are "complete" (all essential amino acids), while most plant proteins need to be combined for completeness. Soy and quinoa are complete plant proteins.

More Diet Rankings

Lowest Calorie Foods → Keto-Friendly Foods → Highest Fiber Foods → Best Protein-to-Calorie Ratio →

More from the GetFoodFacts library

Key takeaways

  • The #1 food, Soy protein isolate, is 13% ahead of the 10th-ranked food, so the very top of this list carries an outsized share of the protein advantage.
  • Even the 50th-ranked food still delivers 48.0g per 100g, so every entry on this page is a genuinely strong source, not just the top few.
  • The value-vs-cost view above shows the #1-ranked food isn't always the most efficient pick within this top 50, worth a look before assuming higher rank means better fit. Jump to the value-vs-cost chart
  • This list excludes branded and processed foods by design, for those, compare any two foods directly or browse by category. Compare two foods

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Branded and processed products are excluded. All values per 100g edible portion.
Source: GetFoodFacts ranking rule — Top 50 whole foods ranked by protein content per 100g serving.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.

Read our methodology for how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Every figure on GetFoodFacts is rendered directly from official USDA FoodData Central records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.