Top 100 Foods Highest in Protein per Calorie

USDA FoodData Central →

These 100 entries are USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation Foods ranked by protein density per calorie — the most efficient sources of dietary protein when you also have to account for energy intake. Branded products and processed mixes are excluded so the ranking reflects only laboratory-analysed whole foods. Drawn from 2,013,644 total entries in the GetFoodFacts database.

How the metric is computed

For every food, we divide grams of protein per 100 g by kcal per 100 g, then multiply by 100. The result is grams of protein delivered per 100 kilocalories. Foods with fewer than 10 kcal per 100 g (water, herbs) are excluded so the denominator stays meaningful, as are entries missing either protein or calorie values.

Lean white fish, shellfish, egg whites, and skinless poultry tend to dominate the top of the list because their fat fraction is low (typically < 1 g per 100 g) and their protein fraction is high (15–25 g per 100 g). Plant proteins (seitan, tofu, tempeh, spirulina) appear lower because they carry residual carbohydrate, and dairy enters with non-fat Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese where the milk-fat has been removed.

Top 100 results

# Food Protein (g/100g) Calories (kcal/100g) Ratio (g/100kcal)
1 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 88.3 321 27.5
2 Soy protein isolate 88.3 335 26.4
3 Gelatins, dry powder, unsweetened 85.6 335 25.6
4 Fish, cod, Pacific, cooked 20.4 84 24.3
5 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, raw (Alaska Native) 26.7 110 24.3
6 Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked 24.0 99 24.2
7 Duck, scoter, white-winged, meat (Alaska Native) 20.2 84 24.0
8 Whale, beluga, meat, raw (Alaska Native) 26.5 111 23.9
9 Crustaceans, shrimp, raw 20.1 85 23.6
10 Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 84.1 357 23.6
11 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) 82.6 351 23.5
12 Sea cucumber, yane (Alaska Native) 13.0 56 23.2
13 Ruffed Grouse, breast meat, skinless, raw 25.9 112 23.2
14 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, partially dried (Alaska Native) 62.4 270 23.1
15 Walrus, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 57.0 251 22.7
16 Fish, lingcod, meat, raw (Alaska Native) 17.9 79 22.7
17 Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) 19.4 86 22.6
18 Fish, pollock, Alaska, raw 17.2 76 22.6
19 Cheese, mozzarella, nonfat 31.7 141 22.5
20 Frog legs, raw 16.4 73 22.5
21 Fish, tuna, yellowfin, fresh, cooked, dry heat 29.1 130 22.4
22 Fish, pollock, Alaska, cooked 19.4 87 22.4
23 Emu, outside drum, raw 23.1 103 22.4
24 Fish, tuna, fresh, yellowfin, raw 24.4 109 22.4
25 Cheese, Swiss, nonfat or fat free 28.4 127 22.4
26 Buffalo, free range, top round steak, cooked (Shoshone Bannock) 32.5 146 22.3
27 Turtle, green, raw 19.8 89 22.2
28 Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat 20.0 90 22.2
29 Beverages, Protein powder whey based 78.1 352 22.2
30 Fish, cod, Pacific, raw (may have been previously frozen) 15.3 69 22.1
31 Buffalo, free range, top round steak, raw (Shoshone Bannock) 21.4 97 22.1
32 Fish, haddock, raw 16.3 74 22.1
33 Fish, cod, Pacific, cooked, dry heat (may contain additives to retain moisture) 18.7 85 22.0
34 Fish, haddock, raw 16.3 74 22.0
35 Turkey, breast, smoked, lemon pepper flavor, 97% fat-free 20.9 95 22.0
36 Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, without salt, drained solids 25.5 116 22.0
37 Fish, pollock, raw 12.3 56 22.0
38 Octopus (Alaska Native) 12.3 56 22.0
39 Fish, ling, cooked, dry heat 24.4 111 21.9
40 Egg, white, dried, powder, stabilized, glucose reduced 82.4 376 21.9
41 Egg, white, dried, flakes, stabilized, glucose reduced 76.9 351 21.9
42 Caribou, shoulder meat, dried (Alaska Native) 59.4 271 21.9
43 Fish, pike, northern, raw 19.3 88 21.9
44 Fish, pike, northern, cooked, dry heat 24.7 113 21.8
45 Emu, fan fillet, raw 22.5 103 21.8
46 Game meat, moose, cooked, roasted 29.3 134 21.8
47 Fish, cusk, raw 19.0 87 21.8
48 Fish, ling, raw 19.0 87 21.8
49 Fish, sunfish, pumpkin seed, cooked, dry heat 24.9 114 21.8
50 Emu, flat fillet, raw 22.3 102 21.8
51 Game meat, moose, raw 22.2 102 21.8
52 Fish, sunfish, pumpkin seed, raw 19.4 89 21.8
53 Crustaceans, crab, alaska king, raw 18.3 84 21.8
54 Fish, pollock, Alaska, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture) 12.2 56 21.8
55 Fish, mahimahi, raw 18.5 85 21.8
56 Fish, mahimahi, cooked, dry heat 23.7 109 21.8
57 Fish, haddock, smoked 25.2 116 21.8
58 Fish, cod, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 22.8 105 21.7
59 Fish, cusk, cooked, dry heat 24.4 112 21.7
60 Fish, cod, Atlantic, raw 17.8 82 21.7
61 Turkey, drumstick, from whole bird, meat only, raw 23.7 109 21.7
62 Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted 29.5 136 21.7
63 Turkey, drumstick, from whole bird, meat only, roasted 30.1 139 21.7
64 Fish, cod, Atlantic, canned, solids and liquid 22.8 105 21.7
65 Fish, whitefish, mixed species, smoked 23.4 108 21.7
66 Fish, cod, Atlantic, dried and salted 62.8 290 21.7
67 Moose, meat, raw (Alaska Native) 22.3 103 21.7
68 Fish, roughy, orange, raw 16.4 76 21.6
69 Fish, roughy, orange, cooked, dry heat 22.6 105 21.6
70 Crustaceans, crab, blue, canned 17.9 83 21.5
71 Crustaceans, crab, blue, cooked, moist heat 17.9 83 21.5
72 Sea lion, Steller, meat (Alaska Native) 25.9 120 21.5
73 Fish, burbot, cooked, dry heat 24.8 115 21.5
74 Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, with added solution, cooked, roasted 27.9 130 21.5
75 Fish, burbot, raw 19.3 90 21.5
76 Crustaceans, lobster, northern, raw 16.5 77 21.5
77 Fish, tuna, skipjack, fresh, cooked, dry heat 28.2 132 21.4
78 Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 69.9 327 21.4
79 Fish, tuna, fresh, skipjack, raw 22.0 103 21.4
80 Crustaceans, lobster, northern, cooked, moist heat 19.0 89 21.3
81 Turkey from whole, light meat, meat only, with added solution, raw 21.5 101 21.3
82 Fish, perch, mixed species, raw 19.4 91 21.3
83 Chicken breast, oven-roasted, fat-free, sliced 16.8 79 21.3
84 Egg, white, dried 79.9 376 21.3
85 Egg, white, raw, frozen, pasteurized 10.2 48 21.3
86 Fish, perch, mixed species, cooked, dry heat 24.9 117 21.2
87 Turkey, wing, from whole bird, meat only, with added solution, roasted 27.0 127 21.2
88 Turkey from whole, light meat, meat only, with added solution, cooked, roasted 27.0 127 21.2
89 Turkey, breast, from whole bird, meat only, with added solution, roasted 27.0 127 21.2
90 Turkey, back, from whole bird, meat only, with added solution, roasted 27.0 127 21.2
91 Egg, white, dried 81.1 382 21.2
92 Fish, pollock, Alaska, cooked, dry heat (may contain additives to retain moisture) 23.5 111 21.2
93 Fish, pollock, Atlantic, raw 19.4 92 21.1
94 Veal, leg, top round, cap off, cutlet, boneless, cooked, grilled 31.9 151 21.1
95 Fish, pollock, Atlantic, cooked, dry heat 24.9 118 21.1
96 Turkey, wing, from whole bird, meat only, with added solution, raw 21.5 102 21.1
97 Turkey, breast, from whole bird, meat only, with added solution, raw 21.5 102 21.1
98 Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids 19.0 90 21.1
99 Fish, grouper, mixed species, raw 19.4 92 21.1
100 Fish, pout, ocean, raw 16.6 79 21.1

Caveats

Protein efficiency by calorie is a useful sorting heuristic, not a complete picture. It does not account for protein quality (PDCAAS / DIAAS), amino-acid completeness, cooking-induced losses (which can shave 10–20% off raw values), sodium content (canned tuna and brined olives are notable), or mercury and other contaminant load (large predator fish). Plant proteins often need combining for full essential-amino-acid coverage; the ranking does not enforce that.

USDA FoodData Central laboratory-analyses a defined sample of foods. Regional cuts, prep variations, and seasonality can move a real-world serving away from the central tendency. Cross-reference each food's full nutrition label page for micronutrient breakdown, source citation, and per-serving figures before adopting any of these as a regular dietary pillar.

Related references

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases (fdc.nal.usda.gov). Source: GetFoodFacts ranking rule — protein-per-calorie efficiency (g of protein per 100 kcal). Data reflects our build of the FoodData Central April 2026 release, updated automatically when the source is refreshed. This information is for reference only and does not replace professional dietary advice.