Foods highest in Protein
Protein builds and repairs muscle, skin, enzymes and hormones, and helps keep you full between meals.
Below are the whole foods with the most protein per 100 g, straight from USDA FoodData Central — plus how much you need and how to keep track without doing any math.
What protein does
Protein builds and repairs muscle, skin, enzymes and hormones, and helps keep you full between meals.
Most people meet their protein needs, but older adults, athletes, and people eating mostly plants often want to track it to hit a steady daily target.
How much you need
The Daily Value used on food labels is 50 g a day for adults.
Your real target depends on your age, sex and body — Healthy Squirrel sets it for you from NIH / Institute of Medicine reference intakes, then shows every food against your number, not a generic one.
Foods highest in protein (per 100 g)
| Food | per 100 g | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Mollusks, whelk, unspecified, cooked, moist heat | 48 g | 95% |
| Cheese, parmesan, low sodium | 42 g | 83% |
| Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved | 39 g | 78% |
| Soybeans, mature seeds, roasted, salted | 39 g | 77% |
| Veal, leg (top round), separable lean only, cooked, braised | 37 g | 73% |
| Lupins, mature seeds, raw | 36 g | 72% |
| Beef, round, top round, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, choice, cooked, braised | 36 g | 72% |
| Veal, shoulder, arm, separable lean only, cooked, braised | 36 g | 71% |
| Lamb, shoulder, arm, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, cooked, braised | 36 g | 71% |
| Veal, cubed for stew (leg and shoulder), separable lean only, cooked, braised | 35 g | 70% |
| Beef, chuck, arm pot roast, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, cooked, braised | 35 g | 69% |
| Veal, rib, separable lean only, cooked, braised | 34 g | 69% |
Amounts are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (whole foods), sorted highest first. In the app, every amount scales to the exact serving you log — no conversions.
Track protein free
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Open Healthy Squirrel and log a food to see your protein for the day.
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