Best Protein Per Calorie Foods
Efficiency, not size, is the question here: for every 100 calories you spend, which food returns the most protein grams? The white fish sweep is total — Fish, pollock, Alaska, raw (not previously frozen) returns 24.6g per 100 kcal, shrimp 24.2g, water-packed tuna 22.4g, and turkey breast 22.2g. When your calorie budget is tight, this single column is worth more than any protein-per-100g chart.
How this ranking works
The metric is simple division: protein grams × 100 ÷ calories, both from the same database row. Foods with zero calories drop out, and the shared scope rules apply (real Arabic names, no spices, no concentrates). A high score means lean protein: you can eat a large portion before the calories bite.
The table: top 20
| # | Food | Protein (g / 100 kcal) | Calories (kcal/100g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fish, pollock, Alaska, raw (not previously frozen) | 24.6 | 70 |
| 2 | Fish, cod, Pacific, raw (not previously frozen) | 24.3 | 72 |
| 3 | Fish, cod, Pacific, cooked (not previously frozen) | 24.3 | 84 |
| 4 | Fish, pollock, Alaska, cooked (not previously frozen) | 24.2 | 80 |
| 5 | Crustaceans, shrimp, cooked (not previously frozen) | 24.2 | 99 |
| 6 | Shrimp | 24.2 | 99 |
| 7 | Crustaceans, shrimp, raw (not previously frozen) | 23.6 | 85 |
| 8 | Soup, beef broth bouillon and consomme, canned, condensed | 22.7 | 11 |
| 9 | Seaweed, spirulina, raw | 22.7 | 26 |
| 10 | Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids | 22.6 | 86 |
| 11 | Canned Tuna | 22.4 | 116 |
| 12 | Fish, tuna, fresh, yellowfin, raw | 22.4 | 109 |
| 13 | Turkey Breast | 22.2 | 135 |
| 14 | Fish, cod, Pacific, raw (may have been previously frozen) | 22.2 | 69 |
| 15 | Fish, haddock, raw | 22 | 74 |
| 16 | Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, without salt, drained solids | 22 | 116 |
| 17 | Fish, pike, northern, raw | 21.9 | 88 |
| 18 | Crustaceans, crab, alaska king, raw | 21.8 | 84 |
| 19 | Fish, pollock, Alaska, raw (may have been previously frozen) | 21.8 | 56 |
| 20 | Fish, mahimahi, raw | 21.8 | 85 |
Source: the Alkemos food database — the same rows each food’s page shows (per-100g values; every name links to that food’s full page).
Reading the table
For a hard cut
A 200g fillet of the leading white fish costs about 140 calories and hands you 34g of protein — the closest thing to free protein in the entire database. Rotate cod, pollock and haddock so the palate does not mutiny.
The pantry workhorses
Water-packed tuna and shrimp are the shelf-stable and freezer-stable ways to stay at the top of this table without smelling like a fish market. Canned light tuna in water sits at 22.4g per 100 kcal — essentially tied with fresh fillets, at a fraction of the price and prep.
Read the broth row carefully
Condensed beef broth posts a spectacular ratio because eleven calories carry a little protein — mathematically true, practically useless: you would need litres of it to reach a training dose. High ratios only matter when the food comes in portions you can actually eat; that is why the fish rows, not the broth row, are the real answer.
Common questions
What does 'protein per calorie' mean in practice?
It is the exchange rate between your calorie budget and your protein target. A food at 24.6g per 100 kcal gives you 1g of protein for roughly 4 calories; a fattier cut might charge three times that. On a cut, the difference decides how much food fits in the day.
Why do white fish beat chicken here?
Lean white fish carry almost no fat, so nearly every calorie is protein. Chicken breast is still excellent — turkey breast posts 22.2g per 100 kcal in this table — but the fish rows simply run leaner, at 70–90 kcal per 100g.
Is a high ratio the only thing that matters?
No — fats carry vitamins and keep hormones and joints happy, and a plate of nothing-but-white-fish is a sad plate. Use this ranking to pick your protein anchor for the meal, then let the rest of the plate carry flavour and fats. The macro calculator on this site splits the whole day, not just the protein line.
Turn these tables into a plan: the Macro Calculator splits your daily budget into grams — free, no account needed.
New to this topic? Start from the curated Foods for Cutting collection — the hand-picked staples — then come back for the full ranking.