50 high-protein foods
in the UK

Most people fall short on protein not because they lack options but because they judge foods by reputation instead of by the number on the back. The tables below give protein per 100 g and per actual portion for 50 everyday foods, plus a protein-per-calorie ranking, which is the one that matters when you are eating in a deficit.

Meat and poultry

Food	Protein per 100 g	Typical portion	Protein per portion
Chicken breast, cooked	31 g	150 g fillet	46 g
Turkey breast, cooked	30 g	150 g	45 g
Beef steak, lean, cooked	31 g	200 g	62 g
Beef mince 5% fat, cooked	27 g	150 g	40 g
Pork loin, cooked	29 g	150 g	43 g
Lamb leg, cooked	28 g	150 g	42 g
Chicken thigh, cooked	26 g	120 g	31 g
Bacon medallions, grilled	26 g	3 rashers (~75 g)	20 g
Ham, sliced	21 g	4 slices (~80 g)	17 g
Beef jerky / biltong	50 g	35 g bag	18 g

Fish and seafood

Fish is the most under-used protein source in most people’s week. Tinned fish in particular is cheap, needs no cooking and stores indefinitely — a tin of tuna is a 26 g protein hit that requires opening a tin.

Food	Protein per 100 g	Typical portion	Protein per portion
Tuna, tinned in water	25 g	1 tin (~110 g drained)	26 g
Salmon fillet, cooked	25 g	130 g	33 g
Cod fillet, cooked	23 g	150 g	35 g
Haddock, cooked	24 g	150 g	36 g
Smoked salmon	25 g	100 g pack	25 g
Mackerel, tinned	21 g	1 tin (~110 g)	23 g
Sardines, tinned	25 g	1 tin (~90 g drained)	22 g
Prawns, cooked	24 g	150 g	36 g
Mussels, cooked	24 g	150 g	36 g
Pollock / whiting, cooked	23 g	150 g	35 g

Dairy

Dairy is where the easiest wins are, because the portions are large and require no preparation. Skyr and quark in particular carry a lot of protein for very few calories.

Food	Protein per 100 g	Typical portion	Protein per portion
Skyr / 0% Greek yoghurt	10 g	170 g pot	17 g
Greek yoghurt, 5%	9 g	170 g pot	15 g
Cottage cheese	12 g	200 g tub	24 g
Quark	12 g	250 g tub	30 g
Cheddar	25 g	30 g portion	8 g
Mozzarella, reduced fat	24 g	30 g	7 g
Parmesan	35 g	20 g grated	7 g
Milk, low fat	3.6 g	250 ml glass	9 g
High-protein milk drink	6–8 g	330 ml bottle	20–26 g
High-protein yoghurt pot	10–12 g	200 g pot	20–24 g

Eggs, beans, tofu and meat alternatives

Food	Protein per 100 g	Typical portion	Protein per portion
Eggs	13 g	3 medium	19 g
Egg whites	11 g	200 ml carton	22 g
Firm tofu	15 g	150 g	23 g
Tempeh	19 g	100 g	19 g
Edamame beans	11 g	150 g	17 g
Red lentils, cooked	9 g	200 g	18 g
Chickpeas, cooked	8 g	200 g	16 g
Black beans, cooked	9 g	200 g	18 g
Kidney beans, cooked	8 g	200 g	16 g
Baked beans	5 g	1 tin (~400 g)	20 g
Peas, frozen	7 g	150 g	11 g
Quorn mince	15 g	150 g	23 g
Seitan	25 g	100 g	25 g
Soya mince, dry	50 g	50 g dry	25 g

Grains, nuts and supplements

These are mostly here for honesty rather than recommendation. Nuts and peanut butter look high-protein per 100 g, but the portion is 30 g and most of those calories are fat. They are a fine food and a poor protein strategy.

Food	Protein per 100 g	Typical portion	Protein per portion
Porridge oats, dry	11 g	60 g serving	7 g
Wholemeal bread	9 g	2 slices (~80 g)	7 g
Wholewheat pasta, cooked	5 g	200 g	10 g
Quinoa, cooked	4.5 g	200 g	9 g
Peanut butter	25 g	30 g (2 tbsp)	8 g
Almonds	21 g	30 g handful	6 g
Pumpkin seeds	25 g	30 g	8 g
Whey protein powder	75–80 g	1 scoop (30 g)	24 g
Vegan protein powder	70–75 g	1 scoop (30 g)	22 g
Protein bar	30–35 g	1 bar (60 g)	18–21 g

Protein per calorie: the list that actually matters

If you are eating in a deficit, protein per calorie is the more useful ranking than protein per 100 g. On that measure the order changes sharply:

Food	Protein per 100 kcal
Egg whites	~21 g
Cod, haddock, prawns	~20 g
Chicken breast	~19 g
Skyr / 0% Greek yoghurt	~18 g
Cottage cheese	~15 g
Tinned tuna in water	~15 g
Lean beef mince 5%	~13 g
Lentils	~8 g
Cheddar	~6 g
Peanut butter	~4 g

This is why two people can both "eat loads of protein" and end up 60 g apart: one is eating fish and skyr, the other cheese and nuts.

Shopping in the UK

Every major UK supermarket own-label range now carries skyr, high-protein yoghurt pots, protein milk drinks, quark, cottage cheese and 5% fat mince, and the own-label versions sit within a gram or two of the branded ones at a noticeably lower cost. Quorn and other mycoprotein mince is widely stocked at around 15 g per 100 g, which makes it competitive with lean meat per portion. Frozen white fish and frozen chicken are the two most consistently underrated aisles for protein per pound.

Four habits that fix a low-protein week

1. Anchor breakfast. It is the meal that most often lands under 10 g. Eggs, skyr or a high-protein yoghurt moves it to 25–30 g without effort.
2. Keep a no-cook option. Tinned fish, a yoghurt pot or a protein drink covers the evening where cooking was never going to happen.
3. Buy the lean version once. Swapping 20% mince for 5% adds roughly 8 g of protein and removes about 100 calories per portion, permanently, with no ongoing willpower.
4. Check the pack, not the front. "High in protein" is a regulated claim with a low bar. The back-of-pack figure per 100 g is the one that tells you anything.

Nothing here requires a specialist shop or a supplement. A week that includes fish twice, eggs twice, a lean mince, a daily yoghurt and one tin of beans will pass 130 g a day for most people without anything that could be called a diet.

Common questions

What are the highest protein foods per 100 g?

By weight, the leaders are protein powder at 75 to 80 grams per 100 g, beef jerky or biltong at around 50 g, Parmesan at 35 g, and then lean meats and fish at 25 to 31 g. Among foods eaten in large portions, chicken breast, lean steak and white fish are the practical top of the list.

What is the cheapest high-protein food in the UK?

Eggs, tinned tuna, tinned mackerel, dried red lentils, tinned beans, own-label skyr and frozen chicken or white fish give the most protein per pound in UK supermarkets. Own-label protein yoghurts are typically within a gram or two of branded equivalents at a lower price.

How do I get 150 g of protein a day?

Split it across four meals of roughly 35 to 40 grams: eggs or skyr at breakfast, a chicken or tuna lunch, a lean meat or fish dinner, and one high-protein snack such as a yoghurt pot or a protein drink. No supplement is required, though a shake is a convenient way to cover a missed meal.

What are the best high-protein vegetarian foods?

Quark, skyr, cottage cheese, eggs and milk among dairy; tofu, tempeh, seitan, edamame, lentils and beans among plants; and mycoprotein mince, which carries around 15 grams per 100 g. Seitan and soya mince are the highest by weight at roughly 25 and 50 grams per 100 g respectively.

These are general guidelines for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, under 18, managing a health condition, or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a GP or a registered dietitian before changing how much you eat.

Read next: How much protein do I need? The same list for Ireland Calculating macros