Nutrient list · USDA values per 100 g
High Protein Low Calorie Foods
Quick answer
Turkey Breast (Roasted) comes first with 30.1 g per 100 g. 31 foods in the CalorTracker database qualify, ranked highest first.
A food has to meet two conditions here at once: protein of at least 10 g per 100 g and calories of at most 150 kcal per 100 g. 31 foods do, ranked by protein per 100 g, and Turkey Breast (Roasted) comes first at 30.1 g per 100 g.
The calories column shows what each row costs per 100 g. Fish, shellfish and lean cuts of meat suit the filter because they are mostly protein and water; foods rich in fat fall out, since fat carries more calories per gram than protein does.
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Calories per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| 1.Turkey Breast (Roasted) | 30.1 g | 147 kcal |
| 2.Tuna Steak (Yellowfin, Cooked) | 29.2 g | 130 kcal |
| 3.Canadian Bacon | 28.3 g | 146 kcal |
| 4.Red Snapper | 26.3 g | 128 kcal |
| 5.Tilapia (Cooked) | 26.2 g | 128 kcal |
| 6.Pork Tenderloin (Roasted) | 26 g | 147 kcal |
| 7.Clams | 25.6 g | 148 kcal |
| 8.Mahi Mahi | 23.7 g | 109 kcal |
| 9.Cod (Cooked) | 22.8 g | 105 kcal |
| 10.Shrimp (Cooked) | 22.8 g | 119 kcal |
| 11.Halibut (Cooked) | 22.5 g | 111 kcal |
| 12.Chicken Breast | 22.5 g | 120 kcal |
| 13.Lean Ground Beef 95/5 (Raw) | 21.4 g | 137 kcal |
| 14.Scallops (Steamed) | 20.5 g | 111 kcal |
| 15.Shrimp | 20.1 g | 85 kcal |
| 16.Haddock | 20 g | 90 kcal |
| 17.Canned Salmon | 19.7 g | 129 kcal |
| 18.Ground Turkey | 19.7 g | 148 kcal |
| 19.Tuna | 19.4 g | 86 kcal |
| 20.Lobster (Cooked) | 19 g | 89 kcal |
| 21.Chicken Thigh (Raw) | 18.6 g | 144 kcal |
| 22.Catfish | 18.4 g | 144 kcal |
| 23.Smoked Salmon | 18.3 g | 117 kcal |
| 24.Crab (Blue, Cooked) | 17.9 g | 83 kcal |
| 25.Cod (Raw) | 17.8 g | 82 kcal |
| 26.Tofu (Firm) | 17.3 g | 144 kcal |
| 27.Deli Turkey Breast | 14.8 g | 106 kcal |
| 28.Eggs | 12.6 g | 143 kcal |
| 29.Edamame | 11.9 g | 121 kcal |
| 30.Egg White | 10.9 g | 52 kcal |
| 31.Cottage Cheese (2% Fat) | 10.5 g | 81 kcal |
Foods with the most protein per calorie
Ranked another way: protein per 100 kcal compares foods for the same calories instead of the same weight. To appear a food needs protein of at least 8 g per 100 kcal and calories of at least 20 kcal per 100 g; 94 foods qualify, and Shrimp gives the most at 23.6 g per 100 kcal. The calorie floor keeps near-zero-calorie items such as brewed tea out, where a trace of protein would give a huge ratio that says little.
| Food | Protein per 100 kcal | Calories per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| 1.Shrimp | 23.6 g | 85 kcal |
| 2.Tuna | 22.6 g | 86 kcal |
| 3.Tuna Steak (Yellowfin, Cooked) | 22.4 g | 130 kcal |
| 4.Haddock | 22.2 g | 90 kcal |
| 5.Mahi Mahi | 21.8 g | 109 kcal |
| 6.Cod (Cooked) | 21.7 g | 105 kcal |
| 7.Cod (Raw) | 21.7 g | 82 kcal |
| 8.Crab (Blue, Cooked) | 21.5 g | 83 kcal |
| 9.Lobster (Cooked) | 21.3 g | 89 kcal |
| 10.Egg White | 21 g | 52 kcal |
This list draws on every food in the CalorTracker food database (461 foods). A food qualifies with protein of at least 8 g per 100 kcal and calories of at least 20 kcal per 100 g. A food USDA has no measurement for is left out, never counted as zero.
Low-fat, high-protein foods
The same foods seen through fat: total fat of at most 3 g per 100 g and protein of at least 15 g per 100 g. 20 foods meet both, ranked by fat per 100 g from the least up, so Shrimp comes first with 0.51 g per 100 g. Fat is ranked, not judged; it is simply the nutrient with the most calories per gram.
| Food | Total fat per 100 g | Protein per 100 g | Calories per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Shrimp | 0.51 g | 20.1 g | 85 kcal |
| 2.Haddock | 0.55 g | 20 g | 90 kcal |
| 3.Tuna Steak (Yellowfin, Cooked) | 0.59 g | 29.2 g | 130 kcal |
| 4.Cod (Raw) | 0.67 g | 17.8 g | 82 kcal |
| 5.Crab (Blue, Cooked) | 0.74 g | 17.9 g | 83 kcal |
| 6.Scallops (Steamed) | 0.84 g | 20.5 g | 111 kcal |
| 7.Cod (Cooked) | 0.86 g | 22.8 g | 105 kcal |
| 8.Lobster (Cooked) | 0.86 g | 19 g | 89 kcal |
| 9.Mahi Mahi | 0.9 g | 23.7 g | 109 kcal |
| 10.Tuna | 0.96 g | 19.4 g | 86 kcal |
This list draws on every food in the CalorTracker food database (461 foods). A food qualifies with total fat of at most 3 g per 100 g and protein of at least 15 g per 100 g. A food USDA has no measurement for is left out, never counted as zero.
How this list is calculated
Foods are ranked by protein per 100 g, highest first. Every value is computed from the USDA FoodData Central record behind each food's page, which CalorTracker stores per 100 g. Nothing is estimated or rounded before ranking, and foods with equal values are ordered by name.
This list draws on every food in the CalorTracker food database (461 foods). A food qualifies with protein of at least 10 g per 100 g and calories of at most 150 kcal per 100 g. A food USDA has no measurement for is left out, never counted as zero.
31 foods qualify, and the table shows all of them.
Every number comes from USDA FoodData Central, the US government's food composition database, through the food pages linked in the table. The same method is written out on how we calculate, and our sources are listed on sources.
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Source: USDA FoodData Central, retrieved . How we calculate.