When you’re looking to increase the protein in your diet, plan each meal with a protein source in mind.
If you’re aiming to eat more protein without overdoing it or losing sight of other nutritional needs, one of the easiest ways is to start tracking your food.
Meat, Poultry, and Game
- Bacon, turkey (2 slices / 16 g): 5 g of protein
- Beef, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 21 g of protein
- Bison, cooked and ground (3 oz / 85 g): 22 g of protein
- Chicken breast, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 26 g of protein
- Chicken thighs, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 21 g of protein
- Duck, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 20 g of protein
- Ground turkey, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 23 g of protein
- Italian sausage, cooked (1 link / 75 g): 14 g of protein
- Lamb, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 21 g of protein
- Pork, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 22 g of protein
- Pork chops, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 23 g of protein
- Quail, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 21 g of protein
- Rabbit, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 27 g of protein
- Turkey breast, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 26 g of protein
- Veal, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 22 g of protein
- Venison, cooked (3 oz / 85 g): 24 g of protein
Dairy & Eggs
- Cheddar cheese (1 oz / 28 g): 7 g of protein
- Cottage cheese (1/2 cup / 112 g): 13 g of protein
- Eggs, whole (1 large): 6 g of protein
- Feta cheese (1 oz / 28 g): 4 g of protein
- Greek yogurt, plain (6 oz / 170 g): 17 g of protein
- Ice cream, vanilla (1 cup / 135 g): 5 g of protein
- Kefir (1 cup / 240 mL): 8-11 g of protein
- Milk (1 cup / 240 mL): 8 g of protein
- Mozzarella cheese (1 oz / 28 g): 7 g of protein
- Parmesan cheese (1 oz / 28 g): 10 g of protein
- Ricotta cheese (1/2 cup / 124 g): 12 g of protein
- Swiss cheese (1 oz / 28 g): 8 g of protein
- Yogurt, plain (1 cup / 245 g): 13 g of protein
Nuts and Seeds
- Almonds (1 oz / 28 g): 6 g of protein
- Chia seeds (2 tbsp / 28 g): 5 g of protein
- Flaxseeds (2 tbsp / 14 g): 3 g of protein
- Hemp seeds (3 tbsp / 30 g): 9 g of protein
- Nuts (mixed, 1 oz / 28 g): 5 g of protein
- Pistachios (1 oz / 28 g): 6 g of protein
- Pumpkin seeds (1 oz / 28 g): 8 g of protein
- Sunflower seeds (1 oz / 28 g): 6 g of protein
- Walnuts (1 oz / 28 g): 4 g of protein
Grains and Pseudograins
- Amaranth, cooked (1 cup / 246 g): 9 g of protein
- Buckwheat, cooked (1 cup / 168 g): 6 g of protein
- Bulgur wheat, cooked (1 cup / 182 g): 6 g of protein
- Farro, cooked (1 cup / 195 g): 12 g of protein
- Nutritional yeast (1 tbsp / 5 g): 2.5 g of protein
- Oats, cooked (1 cup / 240 g): 5 g of protein
- Quinoa, cooked (1 cup / 170 g): 8 g of protein
- Teff, cooked (1 cup / 252 g): 10 g of protein
- Udon noodles, cooked (1 cup / 180 g): 7 g of protein
- Ziti pasta, cooked (1 cup / 140 g): 8 g of protein
Vegetables
- Asparagus, cooked (1 cup / 180 g): 4 g of protein
- Black-eyed peas, cooked (1/2 cup / 93 g): 7 g of protein 93g /7g protein
- Broccoli, cooked (1 cup / 156 g): 4 g of protein
- Eggplant, cooked (1 cup /95 g): 1 g of protein
- Green peas, cooked (1 cup / 160 g): 9 g of protein
- Jicama (1 cup / 130 g): 1 g of protein
- Kale, cooked (1 cup / 130 g): 4 g of protein
- Mushroom, white (1 cup/155g0g 5.6 g of protein
- Peas, cooked (1/2 cup /80 g): 4 g of protein
- Spinach, cooked (1 cup / 180 g): 6 g of protein
- Watercress, raw (1 cup / 34 g): 1 g of protein
- Zucchini, cooked (1 cup / 180 g): 2 g of protein
Legumes
- Black beans, cooked (1/2 cup / 90 g): 8 g of protein
- Chickpeas, cooked (1/2 cup / 90 g): 8 g of protein
- Edamame, cooked (1/2 cup / 78 g): 8 g of protein
- Garbanzo beans (1/2 cup / 90 g): 8 g of protein
- Kidney beans, cooked (1/2 cup / 90 g): 7 g of protein
- Lentils, cooked (1/2 cup / 90 g): 9 g of protein
- Lima beans, cooked (1/2 cup / 90 g): 5 g of protein
- Red lentils, cooked (1/2 cup / 90 g): 9 g of protein
Fruits
- Avocado, one fruit (150 g): 3 g of protein
- Banana, one fruit (126 g): 1 g of protein
- Dates, dried (1/4 cup / 40 g): 1 g of protein
- Jackfruit (1 cup / 178 g): 4 g of protein
