From oats to salmon, 16 foods higher in protein than an egg
Go beyond your typical scramble with these high-protein foods.
Whether or not you get enough sleep, nutrition is key for fuelling your day. High-protein foods, in particular, make a difference when it comes to feeling satiated and, well, good. While a morning scramble is an easy way to get a boost (eggs boast 6 grams of protein and 13 essential vitamins and minerals), there are so many other foods that pack more protein than an egg.
‘As we get older, we become less efficient at using protein to build and maintain muscle (this is called anabolic resistance),’ says GH’s Dr Mo Khaki. ‘We also lose muscle naturally from our 40s onwards if we don’t actively counter it. Higher protein intake helps preserve muscle, bone strength, metabolism, balance and independence as we age.
‘Eating more protein helps muscle mass and strength, reduces frailty and falls risk, improves recovery from exercise, helps with healthy weight control, stabilises blood sugar and supports immune function. It’s one of the most powerful longevity tools we have.’
So how can we get more into our diets? The main sources are lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef), fish and seafood, eggs, dairy (Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, milk, cheese), legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas), soy foods (tofu, tempeh), nuts and seeds.
But protein is also found in more surprising foods, such as edamame beans, lentil or chickpea pasta, quinoa and even some vegetables like peas and spinach (they add up), says Dr Mo.
Oats
Start your morning with a delicious bowl of porridge or overnight oats. This popular and nutritious breakfast option is packed with protein - one cup of uncooked oats has 10 grams. And it’s chock-full of even more health benefits. Oats are known for having a special type of fibre called beta-glucan, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels.
Protein value: 13g (per 100g)
Power up your protein: Overnight oats are all the rage, but have you tried baked oats? Cherry Bakewell baked oats will be your new favourite morning meal.
Chicken
This bird is one of the most versatile lean proteins with 25g in just 115g (about the size of your palm). It can stand alone as the base of a dish, or it makes a great addition to salads, soups, tacos, quesadillas, grain bowls—you name it! We particularly love chicken thighs as they're more succulent and perfect in stir-fries, pasta dishes, salad, or other mixed dishes.
Protein value: 32g (per 100g)
How to serve it: Looking for a nutritious, simple, yet full of flavour chicken dish? Try our Lemon Tahini-marinated chicken salad.
Cottage Cheese
With roughly 12 g of protein and 100 calories per ½ cup, cottage cheese is a satisfying midday snack and a great source of calcium. We love cottage cheese because it’s a high-protein dairy food that can be added to smoothies for extra thickness or a sauce for a mild flavour and creamy texture.
Protein value: 25g (per 1 cup, small curd, not packed)
How to serve it: Cottage cheese tastes great paired with fruit, but you can get creative with it. Try sneaking it into foods that are otherwise low in protein, like a cottage cheese pancake or blitzing into a sauce with roasted squash like this pasta dish.
Black Beans
You can always use more protein options that don’t require any cooking, and black beans fit the bill. Keep a few cans in your cupboard so you can drain and rinse when you’re ready to add them to tacos, nachos, and soup. Each ½ cup serving has 7g of protein, about 100 calories, and 2 milligrams (mg) of iron, making them a good option for vegetarians and vegans.
Protein value: 8g (per 85g)
How to serve it: Level up the standard cottage pie with the addition of black beans, ramping it up to a total of 25g per serve.
Tuna
This fatty fish serves up more than heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. An 85g serving of raw tuna has around 25 grams of protein, and one can of cooked tuna has a whopping 30 grams of protein. Either way, this tasty fish should be top of mind for restaurant ordering or pantry stocking.
Protein value: 43g (per 1/2 fillet)
How to serve it: Pack a tuna and cheddar wrap for lunch.
Pistachios
Nuts are a brilliant source of protein source, especially pistachios in particular. Health benefits of pistachios abound, the nuts contain fibre and help boost heart health, making them a great addition to your menu. Just 50g of the salty snack provides a whopping 10 grams of protein. And they make for a great snack between meals.
Protein value: 6g (per 28g)
How to serve it: Enjoy them on top of hearty veggie soups as a crunchy topper, like our veg-packed minestrone with a herby lemon pistachio crunch.
Tofu
Tofu is one of the most affordable and malleable proteins and it takes on the flavour of any marinade, comes in a variety of textures, and can’t be over- or undercooked. An 85g serving has 7 grams of protein and 90 calories, along with fibre, iron, and calcium if it’s fortified. Grab the silken kind and blend into soups or stews for an undetectable protein punch and extra creaminess, or the firm varieties to cube up and add to dishes in place of chicken or beef.
Protein value: 7g (per 85g)
How to serve it: We love it mixed through this teriyaki style traybake and served with rice.
Turkey
This bird isn’t just for Christmas. Turkey may not get the same love as chicken, but its nutrition profile is pretty darn similar. With 25 grams of protein in a 115g serving, it’s a nice alternative to chicken in virtually any dish.
Protein value: 25g (per 85g)
How to serve it: Try something simple like this turkey biryani which uses up leftover, shredded turkey and a perfect midweek meal.
Tempeh
If you’re unfamiliar, tempeh is a fermented soybean product with a chewy taste that mimics meat. It serves as the base for vegan sandwiches and makes a nice addition to Buddha bowls, with 170 calories and 16 grams of protein in an 85g serving. Plus, the fermentation process creates good-for-your-gut probiotics.
Protein value: 31g (per 166g)
How to serve it: Tempeh can serve as the focal point of any vegan dish, so try it in this vegan tempeh burger or throw it into this tempeh goodness bowl.
Yogurt
Greek yogurt is easy to add in to your routine and it’s amazing how much protein can be packed into one snackable container. Just about 1 cup of plain low-fat Greek yogurt has a whopping 20 grams of protein (or roughly 150 calories). You’ll also punch up your meal or snack with probiotics and calcium.
Protein value: 17 g (1 cup)
How to serve it: If the taste of plain Greek yogurt is too tangy for your liking, try using it as a replacement for sour cream in savoury dishes and dips, mix it into this beetroot and pomegranate tzatziki, or mix it with fresh fruit.
Lentils
Lentils pack quite the nutritional punch, with 9 grams of protein in a ½ cup cooked serving. What’s more, you’ll get 8 grams of filling fibre, 3mg of iron, and a healthy dose of potassium for around 115 calories.
Protein value: 18 g (per 198g)
How to serve it: Switch things up and use lentils as the base for your next sausage and veg traybake, toss them onto your salad, or blend them into red lentil hummus.
Milk
One thing good old cow’s milk has over your favourite almond milk? You get 8 grams of protein per cup. Not to mention, nine essential vitamins and minerals, including bone-building calcium and vitamin D. (If you’re vegan, soy milk contains about the same amount of protein!)
Protein value: 8 g (per 1 cup)
How to serve it: If drinking a glass of milk doesn’t tickle your taste buds, opt for chocolate milk after a workout to maximise your recovery. Research suggests it might even reduce muscle soreness.
Quinoa
Looking to spruce up your meals? Add quinoa to your checklist. This nutty-flavoured starch is full of nutritional value—including protein. A cup of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams of protein. It offers a slew of nutrients like zinc, magnesium, iron, and folate. This versatile ingredient can go from kitchen to table in under 15 minutes.
Protein value: 8g (per 185g)
How to serve it: Quinoa is excellent in soups, salads, and breakfast porridge. We love it in. this one pot Mexican-style dish.
Chickpeas
Whether you roast them for a snack or toss them into your salad, chickpeas are an excellent way to sneak in extra protein at nearly 15 grams per 100g, as well as fibre (17 grams) and iron if you prefer to skip out on beef (nearly 5 grams).
Protein value: 39g (per 200g)
How to serve it: Chickpeas are super versatile since they really take on any flavour you prefer. They taste amazing in a chickpea salad, but we particularly love this crispy chickpea snack.
Almonds
Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E, fiber, magnesium, and good unsaturated fat. 28g of almonds contains 6 grams of protein. This is equivalent to one large egg. Rizzo noted a study involving healthy adults showed consumption of almonds throughout the day reduced post-workout muscle fatigue with increased leg and lower back strength.
Protein value: 30 g (per 143g)
How to serve it: Almonds make an excellent go-to snack whether you're eating them alone or adding to oatmeal, but we love adding them to savoury side dishes for extra crunch.
Salmon
Fresh or frozen salmon is a frequently used protein for all kinds of dishes. The seafood provides key nutrients like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, choline, vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium, and of course, lots of protein. A 100g serving of salmon has nearly 20 grams of protein, with less saturated fat than many meat options.
Protein value: 80g (per 1 fillet)
How to serve it: A pan-seared fillet with rice and veggies is always a great weeknight meal, just like this Peruvian-style salmon with a herby green sauce.
Arielle Weg is the associate editor at Prevention and loves to share her favorite wellness and nutrition obsessions. She previously managed content at The Vitamin Shoppe, and her work has also appeared in Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Cooking Light, MyRecipes, and more. You can usually find her taking an online workout class or making a mess in the kitchen, creating something delicious she found in her cookbook collection or saved on Instagram.
Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.
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