High protein foods can provide an easy way to increase the amount of protein you eat per day. Wether it is for fitness or general health, eating the right amount of protein per day is important to supply your body with essential amino acids to help support tissue growth and regeneration, and provide you with energy. Implementing more protein in your daily meals comes with many benefits and can be easier than you think. Let’s get into it.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For medical and health advice, consult with a licensed healthcare professional.

Related: 6 Best Organic Protein Powders, Whey vs Plant Protein, High Protein Cottage Cheese Eggs

Why you should eat high protein foods

Eating high amounts of protein can help:

Reduce appetite. Protein is one of the most filling nutrients and can help reduce cravings.

Support lean muscle mass growth. Protein provides essential amino acids which are the building blocks for many tissues and structures in our bodies. Eating plenty of protein can help support muscle mass growth along with a healthy lifestyle and exercise.

Support bone health. Research has shown that protein can help increase the body’s absorption of dietary calcium, which is used to help build bone mass.

Support healthy weigh loss. Protein reduces appetite and helps promote muscle growth. Both of which are factors that aid in supporting weight loss. The more muscle mass your body has, the more calories it has to burn in order to maintain that muscle mass.

All in all, eating more protein in your diet is a great way to help support your body’s daily functions and general health. A regular adult should consume around 46-56g of protein daily, however, this may vary based on activity level and weight. It is recommended to eat around 0.36g per pound of body weight. Read more about how your daily protein intake should look like here.

Now that you understand the importance of protein intake, the following list of high protein foods will help you increase your daily protein consumption. Many of these high protein foods are easy to find and easy to cook with, making the switch to a higher protein diet as seamless as possible.

Understand that eating enough protein is only one part of a healthy lifestyle and should not replace healthy habits such as a balanced diet, exercise, adequate sleep, etc., all of which affect your overall health. This list is meant to provide you with the knowledge to aid you in your journey to a naturally healthy balanced life.

Sources: Diet Doctor, Healthline, Health

High Protein Foods

The following high protein foods (#1-8) are animal protein sources. This list provides information on the amount of protein each source provides per serving as well as additional benefits to consider. These high protein foods made the list not only for their protein content, but their overall nutritional value that they provide as well. Each are generally easy to find and to cook with, making them great options to add extra protein and nutrients into your daily intake.

1. Grass-Fed Lean Beef

Cooked grass-fed ground beef, as a 4-ounce serving, can provide around 22g of protein, as well as 14g of fat. Grass-fed beef is higher in protein and lower in fat than grain-fed beef (20g of protein, 22g of fat per 4 ounce serving). Making it a better option for adding high protein foods in your diet, while also keeping a lower saturated fat intake.

It is also a great source of iron, phosphorous, zinc, vitamins B3, B6, and B12. Grass-fed beef may also contain higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and other antioxidants, and healthy Omega-6 fatty acids than grain-fed beef.

Source: WebMD

2. Pasture-Raised Chicken

Pasture raised chicken has around 32-36g of protein per 4-ounce serving. It tends to be higher in iron, Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants than conventional chicken.

Pasture raised chicken has more healthy fats than conventional chicken. According to nutritionist Collette Lentz, MS, as recorded by the APPPA (American Pastured Poultry Association), pasture raised flocks will eat more sources of healthy fats and can therefore provide more healthy fats than conventionally raised flocks. The U.S. population gets 40% of their fat intake and 30% of their calorie intake from meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs. Fats are essential to the body for building hormones, nerve cell protection, and providing energy.

Pasture raised chicken is a great way to add protein and healthy fats into your diet.

Sources: APPPA, Pasture Bird

3. Pasture-Raised Turkey

A 4-ounce serving of cooked pasture-raised turkey breast has about 36g of protein and around 2g of fat.

Pasture-raised turkey is a great source of vitamins B3, B6 and B12, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, potassium, zinc, and selenium.

Pasture-raised flocks tend to have higher amounts of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals compared to conventionally raised flocks.

Sources: Price of Meat, J&L Green Farm, Nutritioneering

4. Wild-Caught Salmon

A 4oz serving of raw wild caught salmon provides 24g of protein and 6.7g of fat.

Wild caught salmon is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. Wild caught fish tend to have more natural mineral and vitamin content than farmed fish.

Any type of wild caught fish would be a fantastic way to add high protein foods to your diet that are also full of other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. They are great for supporting heart health and nerve health with Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids cannot be produced by the body and are needed for protecting nerve cells, helping regulate blood pressure, and other important bodily functions.

Sources: Nutrionix, Healthline, Mayo Clinic

5. Pasture-Raised Eggs

One pasture-raised egg provides 6g of protein and 5g of fat.

Pasture-raised eggs can also provide good amounts of vitamins A, C, and D, calcium, and iron.

One study showed that hens who are exposed to sunlight (free-range and pasture-raised) had 3-4x more vitamin D3 content in their eggs compared to hens raised indoors only. Nutritionist, Collette Lentz, MS, explains that pasture-raised eggs have higher Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and antioxidants than conventionally raised eggs. This is due to the flock having access to a large variety of grasses and plants that are beneficial to their health.

Using eggs is an easy way to add more high protein foods into your day and make for a great breakfast option. Even though one egg alone only provides 6g of protein, eating 2-3 eggs at a time will give you 12-18g of protein. They are also very easy to incorporate into many different recipes and will give your favorite recipes an extra boost of protein and nutrients.

Sources: PubMed, Eat This Much, APPPA

6. Grass-Fed Milk

One cup of grass fed milk has 8g of protein and 9g of fat.

Grass fed milk is a great source of calcium, potassium, and sodium, and has higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids than grain fed milk. It has a smaller ratio (0.95) of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 fatty acids, compared to conventional milk (5.77), which is desirable for a healthy diet.

High protein foods that also offer other health benefits are a great addition to any diet. Grass fed milk is high in protein and can also support nerve and cardiovascular system health with Omega-3 fatty acids.

Source: Healthline

7. Cottage Cheese

One serving, 3.5 ounces, of cottage cheese has 11g of protein and 4.3g of fat.

While also being high in protein, cottage cheese is also high in healthy fats. Healthy fats are used for nerve health, energy, vitamin absorption, and more.

Cottage cheese also offers good amounts of vitamins A, B12 and D, calcium, iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium, and zinc.

There are many different recipes you can make with cottage cheese. It is easy to add to scrambled eggs, use as a healthier pancake alternative, and more. There are many different fun and delicious cottage cheese recipes to try.

Source: Organic Facts

8. Greek Yogurt

3.5 ounces of greek yogurt has 10.3g of protein and about 0.4g of fat.

Greek yogurt offers a wide range of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, many B-vitamins, vitamins A, E, D, and K.

Greek yogurt is a great addition to your daily meals, either eaten alone, with toppings like fruit and granola, or added into baked goods recipes.

Source: USDA

High Protein Plant-Based Foods

The following high protein foods (#9-21) are all plant-based. Plant-based proteins can still be just as affective as animal proteins when combined together to get all of the essential amino acids. Some plant proteins have good amounts of all nine essential amino acids, while others only have a few. By combining them together you can still get all of the essential amino acids necessary for muscle regeneration and immune system function.

9-12. Sprouted Legumes, Beans, Peas, and Grains

One cup of sprouted legumes, beans, peas, and grains can range from 6-25g of protein depending on which of these you chose. You can find a wide list of options here.

One of the highest protein per serving out of these sprouts are mung beans which have 25g of protein per 3.5 ounce serving.

Sprouted legumes, beans, peas, and grains offer many health benefits over their regular counterparts. One study shows that sprouting enhances the amino acid profile, increases the protein concentration, and reduces antinutritional factors which increases the bioavailability of the minerals and vitamins found in the sprouts.

Sources: PubMed, Live Strong

13-15. Seeds: Pumpkin, Chia, and Flax

13. One 3.5 ounce serving of pumpkin seeds has 18.6g of protein and 19.4g of fat.

14. One 3.5 ounce serving of chia seeds has 16.5g of protein and 30.7g of fat.

15. One 3.5 ounce serving of flax seeds has 18.3g of protein and 42.2g of fat.

Seeds are a great source of protein, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals. They are easy high protein foods to incorporate into recipes and can even taste great on their own.

Sources: USDA (pumpkin seeds), USDA (chia seeds), USDA (flaxseeds), Healthline

16. Almonds

3.5 ounces of almonds contains 21.4g of protein and 51.1g of fat.

Almonds provide many vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium.

Almonds have high amounts of healthy fats. Healthy fats are needed for hormone production, nerve protection, and support the cardiovascular system. The versatility, high protein and high healthy fat content per serving makes it simple to add more nutritious, high protein foods into your day.

Source: USDA, Very Well Fit

17-20. Dark Leafy Greens: Kale, Spinach, Collard Greens, and Arugula

There are many dark leafy greens, all of which are highly nutritious and packed with protein. As far as high protein foods go, dark leafy greens are one of the most nutritious options. Some of the most popular are kale, spinach, collard greens, and arugula. You can find more options here.

17. 3.5 ounces of raw kale provides 2.9g of protein and 1.5g of fat. It is also a great source of copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, vitamins A, B6, C, and K.

18. 3.5 ounces of spinach provides 2.9g of protein and 0.6g of fat. It is a great source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and sodium. It is also full of fiber and folic acid.

19. 3.5 ounces of collard greens provides 3g of protein and 0.6g of fat. They are also high in fiber and full of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, B6, and B9.

20. 3.5 ounces of arugula provides 2.6g of protein and 0.7g of fat. Arugula is a great source of potassium, calcium, vitamins A, C, K, and B9.

Dark leafy greens are high protein foods that are great for supporting your immune system with many vitamins and minerals. They also support the digestive system with fiber. They can easily be made into salads or side dishes to your meals.

Sources: USDA (kale), USDA (spinach), USDA (collards), USDA (arugula), Power of Greens

21. Peanut Butter

3.5 ounces of peanut butter contains 24g of protein and 49.4g of fat.

Peanut butter also provides good amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, vitamins E, B1, B3, B6, and B9, and biotin.

Peanut butter is one of the most easiest to use out of these high protein foods because it can be added to almost any recipe and tastes great on its own.

Sources: Very Well Fit, USDA

Other High Protein Options

The last three high protein foods (#22-24) are additional high protein sources that are not whole foods, but are full of beneficial nutrients and can easily be added into your diet.

22. Spirulina

One tablespoon of spirulina provides 4g of protein and 1g of fat.

Spirulina is a type of seaweed that is commonly used in shakes or smoothies for its nutritional content. It contains high amounts of chlorophyll, an antioxidant. It is also a great source of fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Source: The Healthy

23. Bone Broth

One cup of beef bone broth provides 9g of protein and 1g of fat.

Bone broth can be made from chicken, pig, or cow bones. Each type of bone broth is unique, but all are nutritious. Bone broth is full of collagen, a protein that is used by the body to fortify skin, hair, bones, muscles, tendons, and other various structures. Bone broth may be able to reduce inflammation due to its amino acid profile. It also has some amounts of calcium, iron, and potassium.

Bone broth protein is a dried powdered form, and is another option to consider if you do not wish to consume the liquid form of bone broth. It can be made into shakes, smoothies, baked goods and more.

Both bone broth and bone broth protein are incredible high protein foods that come with more benefits than its protein content. Bone broth has been used for centuries and is still in use today for its potential health benefits, and also its delicious flavor.

Source: WebMD

24. Protein Powders

One scoop (usually around 30g or 1 ounce) of protein powder can provide anywhere from 15-25g of protein, possibly more or less, depending on which type and brand of protein powder you chose.

There are various kinds of protein powders, such as whey, collagen peptides, bone broth protein, plant-based options such as pea protein or rice protein, and the lost goes on. Using any one of these options can potentially be beneficial to your health by increasing protein intake. Many people chose to use protein powders because of its versatility. It can be made into shakes, smoothies, baked goods, and many other recipes. Some can even be used as meal replacements. It’s a very simple way to add high amounts of protein into your daily diet, but can be pricey and sometimes unnecessary.

It would be best to use this option if you are regularly strength training and wishing to support lean muscle mass growth or have a very difficult time incorporating high protein foods into your day. Either way, protein powder is a great option to include into your daily protein intake.

Source: Raw Nutrition

Final Thoughts

There is an abundance of high protein foods even further than the ones mentioned in this list. These 24 high protein foods will help get you started on incorporating more protein into your daily intake.

Eating high amounts of protein can potentially reduce appetite, support lean muscle mass growth, support healthy weight loss, and support bone health and other structures of the body. It is important to know that protein is only one part of a balanced diet and lifestyle. There are many other factors than protein, such as proper sleep, nutrition, regular exercise, and more that serve as the foundations of a healthy lifestyle.

We hope that this list of 24 organic high protein foods helped you learn about the benefits of protein and begin incorporating these nutritious foods into your lifestyle.

You may also like:

• Cottage Cheese Nutrition Facts and Benefits
• 6 Best Organic Protein Powders
• Whey vs Plant Protein
• Paleo Valley Bone Broth Protein Review

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