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High Protein Foods

Protein is an essential macronutrient necessary for tissue repair, immune function, and muscle synthesis. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend a Daily Value (DV) of 50 grams of protein per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Below are top food sources ranked objectively by protein content per 100 grams based on official USDA FoodData Central records.

Standardization Basis: All values are calculated per 100 grams of food derived from official USDA FoodData Central records.
Top USDA Food Items Ranked by High Protein Foods (per 100g)
Rank Food Item High Protein Foods (g) % Daily Value Calories (kcal)
1 Soy protein isolate 88.3 g 177% 335 kcal
2 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 88.3 g 177% 321 kcal
3 Beverages, Protein powder whey based 78.1 g 156% 352 kcal
4 Vital wheat gluten 75.2 g 150% 370 kcal
5 Beverages, ABBOTT, EAS whey protein powder 66.7 g 133% 385 kcal
6 Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction 63.6 g 127% 328 kcal
7 Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash 63.6 g 127% 328 kcal
8 Fish, cod, Atlantic, dried and salted 62.8 g 126% 290 kcal
9 Snacks, pork skins, plain 61.3 g 123% 544 kcal
10 Beverages, Whey protein powder isolate 58.1 g 116% 359 kcal
11 Snacks, pork skins, barbecue-flavor 57.9 g 116% 538 kcal
12 Beverages, Protein powder soy based 55.6 g 111% 388 kcal
13 Egg substitute, powder 55.5 g 111% 444 kcal
14 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu) 52.5 g 105% 477 kcal
15 Peanut flour, defatted 52.2 g 104% 327 kcal
16 Soy flour, defatted 51.5 g 103% 327 kcal
17 Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat 50.1 g 100% 333 kcal
18 Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) 49.8 g 100% 332 kcal
19 Soy flour, low-fat 49.8 g 100% 372 kcal
20 Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) 49.1 g 98% 367 kcal
21 Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted 48.1 g 96% 326 kcal
22 Beverages, ABBOTT, EAS soy protein powder 47.6 g 95% 405 kcal
23 Meat extender 41.7 g 83% 311 kcal
24 Cheese, parmesan, low sodium 41.6 g 83% 451 kcal
25 Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless) 41 g 82% 359 kcal
26 Seeds, sesame flour, partially defatted 40.3 g 81% 382 kcal
27 Parmesan cheese topping, fat free 40 g 80% 370 kcal
28 Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved 39 g 78% 476 kcal
29 Cheese, parmesan, shredded 37.9 g 76% 415 kcal
30 Veal, leg (top round), separable lean only, cooked, braised 36.7 g 73% 203 kcal
31 Lupins, mature seeds, raw 36.2 g 72% 371 kcal
32 Veal, leg (top round), separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 36.2 g 72% 211 kcal
33 Cheese, parmesan, hard 35.8 g 72% 392 kcal
34 Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, baked 35.7 g 71% 548 kcal
35 Seeds, safflower seed meal, partially defatted 35.6 g 71% 342 kcal
36 Veal, cubed for stew (leg and shoulder), separable lean only, cooked, braised 34.9 g 70% 188 kcal
37 Game meat, beaver, cooked, roasted 34.9 g 70% 212 kcal
38 Veal, rib, separable lean only, cooked, braised 34.4 g 69% 218 kcal
39 Veal, sirloin, separable lean only, cooked, braised 34 g 68% 204 kcal
40 Pork, cured, bacon, pre-sliced, cooked, pan-fried 33.9 g 68% 468 kcal
41 Peanut flour, low fat 33.8 g 68% 428 kcal
42 Emu, full rump, cooked, broiled 33.7 g 67% 168 kcal
43 Veal, loin, separable lean only, cooked, braised 33.6 g 67% 226 kcal
44 Snacks, beef jerky, chopped and formed 33.2 g 66% 410 kcal
45 Game meat, rabbit, wild, cooked, stewed 33 g 66% 173 kcal
46 Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless) 32.6 g 65% 506 kcal
47 Chicken, broilers or fryers, giblets, cooked, fried 32.5 g 65% 277 kcal
48 Beef, chuck for stew, separable lean and fat, choice, cooked, braised 32.5 g 65% 194 kcal
49 Pheasant, cooked, total edible 32.4 g 65% 239 kcal
50 Beef, chuck for stew, separable lean and fat, all grades, cooked, braised 32.4 g 65% 191 kcal

Data Provenance & Methodology

Nutrient values displayed above are sourced directly from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) FoodData Central foundation dataset. Rankings evaluate nutrient density on a standardized 100-gram mass basis. Unknown or missing values are treated as missing data rather than zero. For details on scaling, rounding, and Daily Value calculations, visit our Data Methodology page.

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