20 High-Protein, Low-Calorie Foods Ranked by Density

Hitting protein targets is the single highest-leverage change most dieters can make. The challenge: protein-rich foods can also be calorie-rich, depending on the source. Below is the ranked list of the highest-protein, lowest-calorie foods — sorted by grams of protein per 100 calories, the metric that matters when you're cutting.

A score above 15 g protein per 100 kcal is excellent. 10–15 is good. Below 8, the food is more carb or fat than protein.

The ranked list

#	Food	Protein per 100 kcal	Per 100 g (raw/cooked)	Notes
1	Egg whites	22 g	11 g protein, 50 kcal	Pure protein, no fat.
2	Cod (cooked)	22 g	23 g protein, 105 kcal	One of the leanest fish.
3	Chicken breast (skinless, cooked)	18 g	31 g protein, 165 kcal	Industry standard for cuts.
4	Turkey breast (skinless)	17 g	30 g protein, 175 kcal	Slightly fattier than chicken.
5	Whey protein isolate	17 g	25 g protein, 120 kcal	Per scoop, mixed with water.
6	Plain Greek yogurt (0% fat)	16 g	10 g protein, 60 kcal	Add fruit, not granola.
7	Cottage cheese (1% fat)	16 g	12 g protein, 75 kcal	Slow-digesting; great pre-bed.
8	Tuna (canned in water)	16 g	26 g protein, 120 kcal	Convenience MVP.
9	Shrimp (cooked)	15 g	24 g protein, 120 kcal	Low fat, fast-cooking.
10	White fish (haddock, pollock)	15 g	20 g protein, 95 kcal	Versatile, mild.
11	Squid / calamari (grilled, not fried)	14 g	18 g protein, 130 kcal	Underrated.
12	Plain skyr	14 g	11 g protein, 65 kcal	Icelandic yogurt cousin.
13	Lean beef (eye of round, sirloin, 95/5)	12 g	25 g protein, 165 kcal	Cut matters — some beef cuts are 50/50 protein:fat.
14	Tempeh	11 g	19 g protein, 195 kcal	Best plant-based whole-food protein.
15	Tofu (firm)	11 g	8 g protein, 75 kcal	Protein:calorie ratio not as strong as it looks; depends on prep.
16	Lentils (cooked)	8 g	9 g protein, 115 kcal	Carb-dominant but useful.
17	Edamame	9 g	11 g protein, 120 kcal	Good snack.
18	Black beans	6.5 g	9 g protein, 130 kcal	Mostly carbs; pair with rice for complete protein.
19	Quinoa (cooked)	3.5 g	4 g protein, 120 kcal	"Protein grain" but really mostly carbs.
20	Almonds	3.5 g	21 g protein, 580 kcal	High protein per gram, but very calorie-dense.

What this list teaches

Three patterns to internalize:

Lean animal protein dominates the top 10. Egg whites, white fish, chicken breast, lean turkey, lean dairy. These are 50–70 percent of total calories from protein. They're also the easiest way to hit a daily protein target.

Most plant proteins are carb-dominant. Lentils, beans, quinoa — they have protein, but per calorie, they're more carb than protein. Useful in a balanced diet; not the best lever for protein-led calorie deficits.

Nuts and seeds are calorie-dense, not protein-dense. Almonds have a lot of protein per gram, but per calorie, they're mostly fat. They're great as a fiber/healthy-fat source; they're not the protein anchor of a meal.

Building a 100 g protein day at 1,500 kcal

Here's what a high-protein, low-calorie day looks like using the top of the list:

Meal	Foods	Protein	Calories
Breakfast	4 egg whites + 1 whole egg + 200 g spinach + 1 slice toast + black coffee	28 g	320
Snack	200 g plain Greek yogurt + 100 g berries	22 g	180
Lunch	150 g chicken breast + 200 g broccoli + 100 g rice + 1 tsp olive oil	42 g	480
Snack	1 scoop whey + 1 banana	26 g	230
Dinner	180 g cod + 200 g asparagus + 150 g sweet potato + 1 tsp olive oil	42 g	460

Daily totals: 160 g protein, ~1,670 kcal. Easily adjustable down by reducing the rice or sweet potato portions.

High-protein, low-calorie snacks

The hardest meal to optimize is the snack. Most snack categories are carb- or fat-dominant. A good snack list:

• Plain Greek yogurt or skyr (most protein per calorie of any snack option)
• Cottage cheese with cucumber (slow protein + volume)
• Hard-boiled eggs (10 g protein in 80 kcal)
• Tuna pouch (20 g protein in 100 kcal, no fridge needed)
• Beef jerky (15 g protein in 80 kcal — watch sodium)
• Edamame (10 g protein in 100 kcal, plant option)
• Whey protein shake (25 g protein in 120 kcal)
• Roasted chickpeas (6 g protein in 100 kcal — better than chips)

What to do this week

1. Pick three foods from the top 10 of the list. Buy them this week.
2. Replace one carb-dominant snack with a protein-dominant one (yogurt instead of cookie; tuna instead of chips).
3. Aim for 30 g of protein at every main meal. That's roughly 100 g of chicken, 200 g of yogurt, or 150 g of fish.

Most people who fail at calorie deficits fail because they're hungry. Most people who are hungry on a calorie deficit have too little protein. Fix the protein first; the rest follows.