Protein per calorie: 59 meal prep foods ranked from USDA data

By Caleb Wallace, founder of Cauli · Updated

Cooked shrimp, cod, roasted turkey breast and light tuna canned in water give the most protein per calorie of common meal prep foods: 21 to 24 g of protein per 100 kcal, so 30 g of protein costs under 145 kcal. Roasted chicken breast gives 18.8 g per 100 kcal (30 g of protein for 160 kcal), and 80% lean ground beef gives 9.9 g (302 kcal). All numbers are per 100 g of the food as eaten, from USDA FoodData Central.

Key takeaways

  • 11 foods reach 30 g of protein for 150 kcal or less: Shrimp, 124 kcal; Whey protein powder, 135 kcal; Cod, Atlantic, 138 kcal; Turkey breast, skinless, 138 kcal; Tuna, light, canned in water, 142 kcal; Ground turkey, fat free (99% lean), 143 kcal; Egg whites, 143 kcal; Tilapia, 147 kcal; Vital wheat gluten (the base of seitan), 148 kcal; Halibut, 148 kcal; Deli turkey breast, low salt, 150 kcal.
  • Fat percentage matters more than the animal. 85% lean ground turkey (9.7 g per 100 kcal) ranks below 80% lean ground beef (9.9 g). Fat-free ground turkey (21.0 g) gives more than twice the protein per calorie of 85% lean turkey.
  • Cooking concentrates meat and dilutes grains and beans. Chicken breast has 22.5 g of protein per 100 g raw and 31.0 g roasted (+38%), because water leaves. Lentils drop from 24.6 g dry to 9.0 g boiled (-63%), because water goes in. Weigh and log a food in the same state as the numbers you use.
  • Cheap protein and lean protein are different lists. At August 2026 US average prices, dried beans give 57 g of protein per dollar and eggs 33 g, against 24.5 g for chicken breast and 11 g for lean ground beef. Beans cost more calories for the same protein: 30 g from boiled lentils is 386 kcal and 67 g of carbohydrate.

The ranking

Per 100 g as eaten. Cooked foods are USDA's cooked records with no added oil or sauce. Sorted by protein per 100 kcal. Data checked in USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy 2018-04 and Foundation Foods 2026-04-30).

Food As eaten Protein per 100 kcal (g) Protein per 100 g (g) kcal per 100 g Grams for 30 g protein kcal for 30 g protein FDC ID
1. Shrimp cooked 24.2 24.0 99 125 124 175180
2. Whey protein powder dry powder 22.2 78.1 352 38 135 173180
3. Cod, Atlantic cooked, dry heat 21.7 22.8 105 131 138 171956
4. Turkey breast, skinless roasted 21.7 29.5 136 102 138 174516
5. Tuna, light, canned in water drained 21.1 19.0 90 158 142 334194
6. Ground turkey, fat free (99% lean) pan-broiled crumbles 21.0 31.7 151 95 143 172848
7. Egg whites raw (liquid or separated) 21.0 10.9 52 275 143 172183
8. Tilapia cooked, dry heat 20.4 26.1 128 115 147 175177
9. Vital wheat gluten (the base of seitan) dry powder 20.3 75.2 370 40 148 168147
10. Halibut cooked, dry heat 20.3 22.5 111 133 148 174201
11. Deli turkey breast, low salt as sold 20.0 21.8 109 138 150 174572
12. Chicken breast, skinless roasted 18.8 31.0 165 97 160 171477
13. Scallops steamed 18.5 20.5 111 146 162 167742
14. Pork tenderloin, lean roasted 18.3 26.2 143 115 164 168250
15. Beef eye of round roast, trimmed to 0" fat roasted 17.8 29.7 167 101 169 170228
16. Cottage cheese, 1% as sold 17.2 12.4 72 242 174 173417
17. Salmon, sockeye cooked, dry heat 17.0 26.5 156 113 177 173692
18. Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat as sold 16.9 10.3 61 291 178 330137
19. Salmon, pink, canned drained 16.7 23.1 138 130 179 175175
20. Ground beef, 95% lean pan-browned crumbles 15.1 29.2 193 103 198 174028
21. Soy protein powder dry powder 14.3 55.6 388 54 210 173181
22. Beef top sirloin steak, trimmed to 0" fat broiled 13.8 29.3 212 102 217 169457
23. Chicken thigh, skinless roasted 13.8 24.8 179 121 217 172388
24. Ground beef, 93% lean pan-browned crumbles 13.8 28.9 209 104 217 174755
25. Canned chicken, no broth as sold 13.7 25.3 185 119 219 171110
26. Greek yogurt, plain, low fat as sold 13.6 9.9 73 302 220 170903
27. Cottage cheese, 2% as sold 13.1 11.0 84 273 229 328841
28. Spinach boiled 12.9 3.0 23 1,010 232 168463
29. Ground turkey, 93% lean pan-broiled crumbles 12.3 27.1 220 111 244 746785
30. Ground chicken pan-browned crumbles 12.3 23.3 189 129 244 171117
31. Tofu, extra firm (nigari) as sold 12.0 10.0 83 301 249 174290
32. Tofu, firm (calcium sulfate) as sold 12.0 17.3 144 174 250 172475
33. Sardines, canned in oil drained, with bone 11.8 24.6 208 122 253 175139
34. Pork loin chop, boneless pan-broiled 11.7 26.7 229 112 257 168298
35. Ground beef, 85% lean pan-browned crumbles 10.8 27.7 256 108 277 174034
36. Salmon, Atlantic, farmed cooked, dry heat 10.7 22.1 206 136 280 175168
37. Tempeh cooked 10.2 19.9 195 151 294 172467
38. Ground beef, 80% lean pan-browned crumbles 9.9 27.0 272 111 302 171799
39. Milk, skim as sold 9.9 3.4 34 890 303 171269
40. Edamame frozen, prepared 9.8 11.9 121 252 305 168411
41. Ground turkey, 85% lean pan-broiled crumbles 9.7 25.1 258 119 308 174494
42. Mozzarella, part skim as sold 9.6 24.3 254 124 314 170847
43. Greek yogurt, plain, whole milk as sold 9.3 9.0 97 333 323 171304
44. Eggs, whole hard-boiled 8.1 12.6 155 238 370 173424
45. Lentils boiled 7.8 9.0 116 333 386 172421
46. Kidney beans boiled 6.8 8.7 127 346 439 173740
47. Broccoli boiled 6.8 2.4 35 1,261 441 169967
48. Black beans boiled 6.7 8.9 132 339 447 173735
49. Green peas frozen, boiled 6.6 5.2 78 583 454 170017
50. Pinto beans boiled 6.3 9.0 143 333 476 175200
51. Chickpeas boiled 5.4 8.9 164 339 555 173757
52. Pasta, whole wheat cooked 4.0 6.0 149 501 746 168910
53. Pasta, enriched cooked 3.7 5.8 158 517 817 169737
54. Quinoa cooked 3.7 4.4 120 682 818 168917
55. Oats, rolled or quick cooked with water 3.6 2.5 71 1,181 839 173905
56. Potato, with skin baked 2.7 2.5 93 1,200 1,116 170093
57. Sweet potato, in skin baked 2.2 2.0 90 1,493 1,343 168483
58. Rice, brown, long grain cooked 2.2 2.7 123 1,095 1,347 169704
59. Rice, white, long grain cooked 2.1 2.7 130 1,115 1,450 168878

Spinach, broccoli and skim milk rank above most beans and every grain per calorie because they have few calories, not much protein: 30 g of protein from boiled spinach is over 1 kg of it. Read the "grams for 30 g protein" column next to the ranking.

Raw or cooked: which number should you use?

Use the number for the state you weigh. Meat loses water when it cooks, so the same piece has more protein per 100 g afterwards. Grains and dried beans take on water, so they have less.

Food (FDC IDs, raw → cooked) Protein per 100 g, raw or dry Protein per 100 g, cooked Change
Chicken breast (171077 → 171477) 22.5 g 31.02 g +38%
Ground beef 93% lean (173110 → 174755) 20.85 g 28.88 g +39%
Ground turkey 93% lean (172850 → 746785) 18.73 g 27.1 g +45%
Salmon, Atlantic farmed (175167 → 175168) 20.42 g 22.1 g +8%
Cod (171955 → 171956) 17.81 g 22.83 g +28%
Lentils (172420 → 172421) 24.63 g 9.02 g -63%
White rice (168877 → 168878) 7.13 g 2.69 g -62%
Oats (173904 → 173905) 13.15 g 2.54 g -81%

If you weigh 150 g of roasted chicken breast but log it with raw values, you count 33.8 g of protein instead of 46.5 g.

What does 30 g of protein cost per dollar?

US city average prices for August 2026 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, applied to the food as bought (raw, dry or as sold). Protein from the matching USDA record.

Food, as bought Protein per dollar Cost of 30 g protein BLS series
Chickpeas, dry 57.0 g $0.53 APU0000714233
Spaghetti, enriched, dry 43.0 g $0.70 APU0000701322
Milk, skim, as sold 34.3 g $0.87 APU0000FJ1101
Eggs, whole, raw 33.2 g $0.90 APU0000708111
Rice, white, long grain, dry 29.1 g $1.03 APU0000701312
Chicken breast, boneless skinless, raw 24.5 g $1.23 APU0000FF1101
Pork loin chop, boneless, raw 21.2 g $1.42 APU0000704212
Ground beef, 80% lean, raw 11.2 g $2.67 APU0000703112
Ground beef, 93% lean, raw 11.0 g $2.72 APU0000703113
Potato, russet, raw 9.9 g $3.02 APU0000712112
Yogurt, plain, low fat (not Greek), as sold 7.5 g $3.99 APU0000FJ4101

Dried chickpeas are priced at the BLS series for dried beans of any type; yogurt at the series for any yogurt, not Greek; a dozen eggs counts as 600 g of edible egg. Rice and pasta look cheap per gram of protein, but 30 g of protein from cooked white rice is 1,450 kcal. Prices are national averages; your store will differ.

Using it for a cut

On a cut the calorie budget is tight, so protein per calorie is the column that matters. A target of 150 g of protein at 2,000 kcal puts 30% of calories in protein (150 × 4 = 600 kcal). The top 20 foods in the table are each 60% protein by calories or more, so they leave room for everything else.

The swaps add up over a Week of meal prep. Two 30 g servings of protein a day from 80% lean ground beef cost 302 kcal each; from 95% lean, 198 kcal. Over 14 servings that is about 1,452 kcal. Roasted chicken thigh instead of breast is about 802 kcal over the same 14 servings. See meal prep for cutting.

Using it for a bulk

On a bulk, calories are easier to find than protein, so grams for 30 g of protein matters more than calories. Thigh, 93% lean beef, salmon, eggs and whole-milk Greek yogurt bring fat along with protein; rice, pasta, oats and potatoes add calories with little protein (2 to 6 g per 100 g cooked). A box of 150 g roasted chicken thigh, 200 g cooked white rice and 100 g boiled broccoli comes to 564 kcal and 44.9 g of protein. See meal prep for bulking.

Using it for a recomp or maintenance

A recomp keeps calories near maintenance with protein high, so most meals pair a food from the top half of the table with a measured carb.

Meal prep box kcal Protein (g) Calories from protein
150 g roasted chicken breast + 200 g cooked white rice + 100 g boiled broccoli 542 54.3 40%
150 g roasted chicken thigh + 200 g cooked white rice + 100 g boiled broccoli 564 44.9 32%
150 g 93% lean ground beef crumbles + 200 g cooked white rice + 100 g boiled broccoli 608 51.1 34%
150 g firm tofu + 200 g cooked white rice + 100 g boiled broccoli 511 33.7 26%
200 g boiled lentils + 200 g cooked white rice + 100 g boiled broccoli 527 25.8 20%

See the recomp meal plan and the maintenance meal plan.

Using it for batch cooking

The foods that hold up in a Batch are near the top: roasted turkey breast, chicken breast and thigh, pork tenderloin, eye of round, lean ground beef or turkey, tofu and cooked lentils or beans. Fish ranks high but is best cooked fresh or used early. Cook the protein once, weigh it cooked, and use the cooked column above for each portion. A 200 g portion of boiled lentils is 18.0 g of protein and 232 kcal; pair it with a lean protein if you need 30 g. See the batch cooking meal planner and the high-protein meal planner.

How Cauli uses this data

Cauli plans every meal of the Week around one body goal: lose fat, build muscle, recomp or maintain. It sets a daily calorie and protein target from the goal and pace, or you enter your own. Every food's nutrition comes from USDA FoodData Central, or the label for a branded product, and the numbers are computed in code, never estimated by an AI model. These are the same USDA releases used in this table.

Each meal is a Cook, a Batch, a Leftover or Store-bought. A Batch says what it feeds ("makes 4: tonight, Tue lunch, Wed dinner"), and busy nights get a Leftover from an earlier Batch, a Quick Cook or a product you saved. One grocery list covers the Week, by store and aisle.

Cauli is on the App Store for iPhone. It does not order groceries, show per-item prices or plan for medical diets. A subscription through the App Store, with no free trial. Get Cauli on the App Store.

Sources and method

Cite this data. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Please credit "Cauli, Protein per calorie: 59 meal prep foods ranked from USDA data (updated October 28, 2026)" and link to getcauli.com/protein-per-calorie.

Questions people ask

What food has the most protein per calorie?

Of common meal prep foods in USDA FoodData Central, cooked shrimp is highest at 24.2 g of protein per 100 kcal, followed by whey protein powder (22.2 g), cooked cod (21.7 g), roasted turkey breast (21.7 g) and light tuna canned in water (21.1 g). Each gives 30 g of protein for under 145 kcal.

Is chicken breast or ground turkey better for a cut?

It depends on the ground turkey's fat percentage. Roasted chicken breast gives 18.8 g of protein per 100 kcal. Fat-free ground turkey gives 21.0 g, 93% lean gives 12.3 g and 85% lean gives 9.7 g, which is lower than 80% lean ground beef. Check the lean percentage on the pack.

Should I weigh meat raw or cooked?

Either works if the numbers match the state you weigh. Roasted chicken breast has 31.0 g of protein per 100 g; raw chicken breast has 22.5 g. Logging cooked meat with raw values undercounts protein by about a quarter for chicken breast; logging cooked rice with dry values overcounts it by more than double.

What are the cheapest high-protein meal prep foods?

At August 2026 US average prices (BLS), dried beans give 57 g of protein per dollar, eggs 33 g and boneless chicken breast 24.5 g. 30 g of protein costs about $0.53 from dried beans, $0.90 from eggs and $1.23 from chicken breast. Beans cost more calories for that protein: 386 to 555 kcal cooked, against 160 for chicken breast.

Can I get 30 g of protein from plant foods without many calories?

Vital wheat gluten, the base of seitan, gives 30 g for 148 kcal. Next are soy protein powder (210 kcal), tofu (about 250 kcal), tempeh (294 kcal) and edamame (305 kcal). From boiled lentils it takes 333 g and 386 kcal.

Your protein target, planned into every day.

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