Protein Content of Foods

Written By: Sofia Layarda, MPH

Title: Master of Public Health

Alumni: University of California, Berkeley

Last Updated on:

Protein is  important as building blocks in our bodies. While we often associate protein with “meaty” foods, how much protein is actually in the foods we eat? Here are some foods and their protein content per serving.

How Much Protein is in Common Foods?

Beef
  • Hamburger patty: 24 g per quarter pound
  • Tenderloin: 23 g per 3-oz serving
  • Prime rib: 38 g per 6-oz serving
Pork
  • Pork chop, ground pork, or tenderloin: 22 g per 3-oz serving
  • Sausage, Italian: 13 to 16 g per piece
  • Ham, deli: 4 to 5 g per slice
Chicken or Turkey
  • Breast, skinless: 27 g per half breast
  • Thigh, skinless: 28 g per thigh
  • Chicken drumstick, skinless: 23 g per drumstick
  • Turkey leg, skinless: 65 g per leg
  • Chicken wings, skin-on: 9 g per wing
Seafood (3-oz serving)
  • Fish filet or steak: 20 to 22 g
  • Tuna, canned, drained: 22 g
  • Salmon, canned, drained: 20 g
  • Shrimp: 19 g (~12 to 15 medium shrimp)
Dairy
  • Milk: approximately 8 g per cup
  • Cottage cheese: approximately 14 g per half cup
  • Cheese: 6 g per oz for soft cheeses (Brie, camembert),  7 to 8 g per oz for medium cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss), 10 g per oz for hard cheese (parmesan)
  • Yogurt: 6 to 10 g per 6-oz serving, depending on type and flavor
  • Greek yogurt: 17 g per 6-oz serving
  • ​Note: ​For dairy foods, lower fat items  contain slightly more protein than higher fat items, but the difference is not significant.
Non-dairy Milk (1 cup serving)
  • Soy: 7 to 11 g
  • Coconut: 1 g
  • Rice: 1 g
  • Almond: 1 g
  • Hemp: 2 to 4 g
Eggs
  • 5 to 8 g per egg, depending on size
Beans and Lentils (half-cup serving)
  • Tofu: 8 g (soft) to 10 g (firm)
  • Edamame: 8.5 g
  • Beans (black, pinto, navy, kidney, etc.): 7 to 10 g
  • Lentils: 9 g
Nuts and Seeds (1-oz serving unless specified otherwise)
  • Walnuts: 4.3 g
  • Almonds: 6 g
  • Pecans: 2.7 g
  • Peanuts: 6.7 g; peanut butter: 8 g per 2 tbs
  • Pistachios: 6 g
  • Sunflower seeds: 5.5 g
  • Sesame seeds: 4.8 g
  • Pumpkin seeds: 5.3 g
  • Flax seeds: 5 g
Whole Grains (cooked, 1 cup serving)
  • Oatmeal: 5.9 g
  • Brown rice: 4.5 g
  • Quinoa: 8.1 g
  • Millet: 6.1 g

Groceries, Nutrition 101

beans, beef, chicken, dairy, eggs, legumes, lentils, nuts, pork, seafood, seeds, soy, turkey, whole grains

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