Nutrition Facts Proteins How Much Protein Is in Chicken, Fish, Beans, and Other Protein-Rich Foods? By Laura Dolson Laura Dolson is a health and food writer who develops low-carb and gluten-free recipes for home cooks. Learn about our editorial process Laura Dolson Reviewed by Reviewed by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDE, CPT on January 26, 2020 facebook twitter instagram Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDE, CPT is a New York City-based telehealth registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition communications expert. Learn about our Review Board Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDE, CPT Updated on April 15, 2021 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Why You Need Protein How Much Protein You Need Chicken and Turkey Beef Fish Pork Eggs and Dairy Beans and Soy Nuts and Seeds Protein Powders Protein is a vital component of any diet. Whether your goal is weight loss, building muscle, or improving overall health, it's important to include protein-rich foods in your diet. Knowing the amount of protein in chicken breast, beans, steak, fish, and other foods can help you structure your meals optimally. Why You Need Protein We all need protein to ensure our bodies function optimally. Protein is required to support muscles, the immune system, and the brain. Your body requires adequate protein to obtain essential amino acids. Dietary protein is also needed to make several proteins in the body, like hemoglobin and antibodies. Although very rare, if you become protein deficient, you may experience muscle wasting, poor wound healing, and a compromised immune system. Protein deficiency can make you more vulnerable to infections, some of which may be serious or difficult to treat. A diet with plenty of protein-rich foods can help you maintain a healthy weight. Since your body takes longer to digest these foods, you'll feel satisfied longer when you eat foods with protein as opposed to those with a higher percentage of carbohydrates. What to Eat If You're Always Hungry How Much Protein You Need Most people do well consuming about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of body weight. Once you know how much protein you need, you can build a meal plan that incorporates the high-protein foods you like best. While chicken, fish, and red meat may be the most obvious dietary protein sources, if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can get protein from plant sources like beans, nuts, and seeds. These guidelines are general. The amount of protein in each food source can vary, especially according to how they're prepared and cooked. You can use this method of counting servings in place of counting grams. One ounce of lean beef, pork, skinless poultry, fish, or shellfish provides about 7 grams of protein. For other protein-containing foods, the following serving sizes are roughly equivalent to 1 ounce of meat. The USDA recommends at least two of these ounce-equivalents each day: 1 egg 1 ounce nuts or seeds 1 tablespoon peanut butter 1/4 cup cooked beans, green peas, or tofu 1/2 cup hummus Chicken and Turkey Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Chicken and turkey are excellent sources of lean protein. A 4-ounce portion of chicken or turkey (about the size of a deck of cards) provides about 35 grams of protein. Lean poultry is an excellent protein source because it contains less fat and calories with a higher ratio of protein per serving compared to some other meats. Healthy Greek Yogurt Almond Chicken Salad Here's how many grams of protein can be found in a typical serving of the different parts of a chicken or turkey (skinless): Chicken breast (6 ounces): 54 grams Turkey breast, roasted (4 ounces): 34 grams Chicken thigh (1.8 ounces): 13.4 grams Chicken drumstick (1.5 ounces): 12 grams Chicken wing (0.7 ounces): 6 grams Turkey breast (lunch meat; 1 slice/0.7 ounce): 3.6 grams Beef Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Most cuts of beef have around 7 grams of protein per ounce; however, the exact amount can vary depending on how much fat the cut contains. Steak (6 ounces): 42 grams Hamburger patty (4 ounces): 28 grams Beef chuck pot roast (3 ounces): 28 grams 85% lean ground beef (3 ounces, broiled): 22 grams Deli-style roast beef (2 ounces): 17 grams If you are looking to limit saturated fat consumption, you can trim visible fat from beef and buy lean or extra lean ground beef. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 120 calories (13 grams) from saturated fat at a 2000-calorie-per-day diet. How to Choose Low-Fat Meats Fish Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Fish and shellfish are a major source of protein around the world. When cooked, most types of fish have around 6 grams of protein per ounce. Cold-water, fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines also provide beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Tilapia (6 ounces): 45 grams Tuna (per 6-ounce can): 40 grams Sardines, canned in oil (3.8 ounces): 22.7 grams Halibut (3 ounces): 19 grams Salmon (4 ounces): 18.2 grams Shrimp (3 ounces): 18 grams If you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are preparing meals for children, choose seafood with lower levels of mercury. Pork Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Pork has about the same protein content as beef and poultry. As with other types of meat, ask for lean cuts and remember that the way you cook and serve meat, as well as your portion size, all affect its nutritional value. For instance, whether you fry or grill it or additional toppings like breading and sauces will impact overall calories and macronutrient content. Pork loin or tenderloin (4 ounces): 26 grams Pork chops (average size): 24 grams Ground pork (3 ounces cooked): 22 grams Ham (3-ounce serving): 18 grams Canadian-style bacon or back bacon (1 slice): 5 to 6 grams Bacon (1 slice): 3 grams Keep in mind that cured pork products like bacon and prosciutto and some deli meat can have high amounts of salt. Highly processed pork products like hot dogs can also have hidden sugar. Eggs and Dairy Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman While they're typical breakfast favorites, eggs and dairy products can add protein to other meals, too. Whether you cook them up with the yolk or just the whites, eggs also offer more than protein: They're a good source of micronutrients like choline, selenium, and B-complex vitamins. If you tolerate lactose, dairy products present versatile ways to add some protein to your diet—though they also add fat. If you're trying to keep your fat intake low, opt for dairy products made with low-fat or nonfat milk, or have smaller portions of the full-fat version. Cottage cheese (1 cup): 25 grams Yogurt (1 cup): 8 to 12 grams—check labels Hard cheese, such as parmesan (1 ounce): 10 grams 2% low-fat milk (1 cup): 8 grams Medium cheese, such as cheddar or Swiss (1 ounce): around 7 grams Egg (one large): 6 grams Soft cheese, such as mozzarella or Brie (1 ounce): around 6 grams Which Milk Is Right for You? Beans and Soy Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Beans are a staple source of protein for vegan and vegetarian diets. Compared to animal protein sources, beans are lower in some essential amino acids. However, as long as you eat a variety of plant-based proteins, you are unlikely to become deficient. You can get creative with tofu, a protein source derived from soy. Tofu can be added to smoothies and shakes, tossed in a salad, or used as a meat substitute in just about any cooked dish, from noodle bowls to nachos. Soybeans (1/2 cup cooked): 14 grams Tofu (1/2 cup): 10 grams 1/2 cup of cooked beans (black, pinto, lentils): 7 to 10 grams Peanuts (1/4 cup): 9 grams of protein Split peas (1/2 cup cooked): 8 grams Soy milk, unsweetened (1 cup): 7 grams Tofu is suitable for many dietary needs and preferences. It's low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Nuts and Seeds Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman As with beans, nuts and seeds are high in protein and can give a boost to vegan or vegetarian diets. Note that the amount needed to supply a protein equivalent is less for nuts and seeds than for beans. In addition to protein, most nuts and seeds provide polyunsaturated fats, fiber, minerals (such as magnesium and calcium), and phytonutrients. Flax seeds (1/4 cup): 10.4 grams Cashews (1/4 cup): 10.3 grams Pumpkin seeds (1/4 cup): 9 grams Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup): 7 grams Almonds (1/4 cup): 6 grams Pecans (1/4 cup): 5.2 grams Almond milk (1 cup): 1 gram Nuts and seeds are among the most versatile options for protein, as they can be eaten on their own or added to a meal. You can add nuts to your morning cereal or yogurt, sprinkle some seeds in a smoothie, or use both as non-meat protein sources for salads and stir-fries. How to Make a Low-Carb Trail Mix Without the Sugar Protein Powders Protein powder can be made from whey and casein (both found in milk), egg, soy, rice, hemp, and peas. The amount of protein and carbohydrate in different protein powder brands will vary depending on the source, so be sure to check the labels carefully. Many protein powders are marketed to bodybuilders and athletes. Protein powders are not regulated, so they may contain toxins and/or additives. Look for a USP, NSF, or Consumer Labs seal to assure the ingredients in the product are safe and the label is accurate. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get nutrition tips and advice to make healthy eating easier. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Khan A, Khan S, Jan AA, et al. Health complication caused by protein deficiency. J Food Sci Nutr. 2017;1(1):1-2 Pezeshki A, Zapata RC, Singh A, Yee NJ, Chelikani PK. Low protein diets produce divergent effects on energy balance. Sci Rep. 2016;6:25145. Published 2016 Apr 28. doi:10.1038/srep25145 Dhillon J, Craig BA, Leidy HJ, et al. The effects of increased protein intake on fullness: A meta-analysis and its limitations. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(6):968-983. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.01.003. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Ninth Edition. December 2020. American Heart Association. Saturated fat. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Advice about eating fish. Updated July 2019. de Gavelle E, Huneau J-F, Bianchi CM, Verger EO, Mariotti F. Protein adequacy is primarily a matter of protein quantity, not quality: Modeling an increase in plant:animal protein ratio in French adults. Nutrients. 2017;9(12). doi:10.3390/nu9121333 Additional Reading FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2020. U.S. National Library of Medicine. What are proteins and what do they do?. US Department of Agriculture. All about the protein foods group.