Red meat, white meat, chicken, fish, seafood and eggs are all high protein foods that can help you lose weight. However, some are better choices than others. In the guides below you’ll find options for proteins that deliver different percentages of protein per serve. The higher the protein percentage the fuller and more satisfied you will feel after eating them.
Tracking protein percentages.
Numerous studies have shown that eating more protein, less fat and carbs can assist in losing weight by reducing your appetite and keeping you satisfied for longer. It also helps to stop your metabolism slowing down.
When looking for protein to assist with weight loss choose the one that provides the highest percentage of protein per serve for the fewest calories.
How do you know? By looking at the lists below choose the foods with the highest protein percentage. This amount represents how much of a food’s calories come from protein as opposed to fats and carbs.
Choosing protein options with a protein percentage over 35% generally means they are leaner cuts with higher protein than fattier cuts.
You don’t need to get fixated on eating only these foods to hit your protein targets though. Dairy products, legumes and many vegetables also offer protein and can become part of your balanced diet plan.
These lists show the protein percentages and the grams of protein per serving for cooked portions but these can vary depending on the animal’s diet, how the food is cooked and if fat is removed before cooking and eating. It is also important to note if you are tracking your meals through an app or calculator; meat and seafood lose about 25% of their weight when cooked so be sure to add this to your tracker accordingly.
1. Chicken
Chicken is a great option for weight loss along with turkey. Leaner cuts such as chicken or turkey breast provide the most protein per calorie plus you’ll get the additional vitamins and minerals from both the light or dark meat.
Below is a list of protein percentages and grams of protein per serve of cooked chicken. One serve is approximately 100g.
Chicken breast without skin | 79% | 30 to 32 grams of protein per serving (approximately half of a large chicken breast) |
Chicken liver | 60% | 25 to 27 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs per serving (limit liver to one serving per week due to its high vitamin A content) |
Chicken thigh without skin | 55% | 24 to 26 grams of protein per serving (approximately one medium chicken thigh) |
Ground chicken | 49% | 22 to 24 grams of protein per serving |
2. Beef
Including red meat into your diet is an excellent way to get protein rich food with loads of added vitamins and minerals required for optimal functioning – including iron, potassium and zinc. However, look for leaner cuts of meat as they provide more protein per calorie than fatty meats.
For reference, 100 grams of lean beef contains 70% of protein per serve and little fat, compared with a fatty cut like brisket which has about 40% of protein within a 100 gram serving.
Sirloin Steak | 69% | 28 to 30 grams of protein per serving |
Beef Liver | 62% | 27 to 29 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbs per serving (limit liver to one serving per week due to its high vitamin A content) |
Lean Ground Beef | 54% | 25 to 27 grams of protein per serving |
Rib Eye Steak | 31% | 20 to 24 grams of protein per serving |
Pork
Pork Tenderloin | 71% | 26 to 28 grams of protein per serving |
Pork Roast | 47% | 26 to 28 grams of protein per serving |
Ground Pork | 36% | 26 to 28 grams of protein per serving |
Pork Shoulder | 34% | 22 to 24 grams of protein per serving |
Lamb
Lamb Tenderloin | 67% | 30 to 32 grams of protein per serving |
Leg of Lamb | 50% | 26 to 28 grams of protein per serving |
Lamp Chops or Rack of Lamb | 36% | 27 to 29 grams of protein per serving (approximately two to three lamb chops) |
Ground Lamb | 36% | 24 to 26 grams of protein per serving |
Fish
Fish is not only a high protein option it’s also a powerhouse for many incredible vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B2 (riboflavin), selenium and potassium. Fatty fish like salmon and sardines do have a higher fat content than leaner fish like snapper however these are essential omega-3 fats and have many benefits so should be enjoyed occasionally as well.
Protein percentages in the below table show a 100 gram serving of cooked fish.
White fish (such as flounder, basa or snapper) | 82% | 23 to 27 grams of protein per serving |
Sea Bass or Barramundi | 77% | 24 to 26 grams of protein per serving |
Canned Tuna | 75% | 23 to 25 grams of protein per serving |
Canned Salmon with bones | 73% | 24 to 26 grams of protein per serving |
Raw Tuna Sashimi | 64% | 22 to 24 grams of protein per serving |
Raw Atlantic Salmon | 56% | 19 to 21 grams of protein per serving |
Farmed Salmon | 54% | 23 to 25 grams of protein per serving |
Sardines | 45% | 23 to 25 grams of protein per serving |
Mackerel | 38% | 23 to 25 grams of protein per serving |
Seafood
All shellfish are high in protein, low in fat and a great source of vitamin b12, magnesium and iodine. The below table shows the protein percentages and grams of protein per 100 gram serving of cooked shellfish.
Shrimp & Prawns | 97% | 23 to 25 grams of protein per serving (10 to 12 medium shrimp or prawns) |
Crab | 87% | 18 to 20 grams of protein per serving (approx one cup of cooked crab) |
Squid | 69% | 17 to 19 grams of protein and 3 grams of carbs per serving (approx one-half cup) |
Mussels | 56% | 24 grams of protein and 7 grams of carbs per serving (approx 20 to 25 medium mussels) |
Oysters Raw | 49% | 5 to 10 grams of protein and 5 to 6 grams carbs per serving (approx 4 to 8 medium oysters) |
Eggs
Eggs are extremely versatile and a great high-protein option to include in your meal plan. Egg whites contain more protein per calorie than egg yolks. However, the yolks contain more of your daily essential nutrients including vitamin A and selenium. I recommend that you eat mostly whole eggs but feel free to include additional egg whites if you’re finding it difficult to meet your protein targets.
The list below shows the protein percentages and grams per 100 gram serving. For reference 1 whole egg is approximately 50-70 grams.
Egg Whites | 85% | 11 grams of protein per serving (three large egg whites) |
Whole Eggs | 34% | 12 grams of protein per serving (two large eggs) |
Egg Yolks | 20% | 16 grams of protein per serving (six large egg yolks) |