Reference table
Protein in small portions: grams per bite-sized serving
The short answer: a 6 oz cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt and 2 oz of chicken or turkey breast each give about 17 g of protein for 85 to 100 calories, the most here outside a scoop of whey powder.[1] Adults need about 46 to 56 g a day.[2]
Two ounces of chicken or a 6 oz cup of Greek yogurt gives about 17 g of protein for under 105 calories
Grams of protein in a small portion, with calories and protein per 100 kcal. Select a column heading to sort. Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Serving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat6 oz container, 170 g | Dairy and eggs | 6 oz container 170 g | 17.3 | 100 | 17.3 | 170894 |
| Cottage cheese, 2%1/2 cup (4 oz), 113 g | Dairy and eggs | 1/2 cup (4 oz) 113 g | 11.8 | 92 | 12.9 | 172182 |
| Ricotta, part-skim1/4 cup, 62 g | Dairy and eggs | 1/4 cup 62 g | 7.1 | 86 | 8.3 | 171248 |
| Milk, 1%1 cup, 244 g | Dairy and eggs | 1 cup 244 g | 8.2 | 102 | 8.0 | 170872 |
| Soy milk, calcium-fortified1 cup, 243 g | Dairy and eggs | 1 cup 243 g | 6.3 | 104 | 6.0 | 172456 |
| Egg, hard-boiled1 large, 50 g | Dairy and eggs | 1 large 50 g | 6.3 | 78 | 8.1 | 173424 |
| Mozzarella, part-skim1 oz, 28.4 g | Dairy and eggs | 1 oz 28.4 g | 6.9 | 72 | 9.6 | 170847 |
| Swiss cheese1 oz, 28.4 g | Dairy and eggs | 1 oz 28.4 g | 7.6 | 111 | 6.9 | 171251 |
| Cheddar cheese1 oz, 28.4 g | Dairy and eggs | 1 oz 28.4 g | 6.5 | 114 | 5.7 | 173414 |
| Parmesan, grated2 tbsp, 10 g | Dairy and eggs | 2 tbsp 10 g | 2.8 | 42 | 6.8 | 171247 |
| Chicken breast, roasted2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 17.6 | 94 | 18.8 | 171477 |
| Turkey breast, roasted2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 17.1 | 83 | 20.5 | 171496 |
| Tuna, light, canned in water2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 11.0 | 49 | 22.6 | 173709 |
| Pink salmon, canned, drained2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 14.0 | 77 | 18.1 | 173724 |
| Salmon, farmed, cooked2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 12.5 | 117 | 10.7 | 175168 |
| Sardines, canned in oil2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 14.0 | 118 | 11.8 | 175139 |
| Cod, cooked2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 12.9 | 60 | 21.7 | 171956 |
| Shrimp, cooked2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 13.6 | 56 | 24.2 | 175180 |
| Pork tenderloin, roasted2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 14.8 | 81 | 18.3 | 168250 |
| Ground beef, 90% lean, cooked2 oz, 56.7 g | Fish and meat | 2 oz 56.7 g | 14.8 | 123 | 12.0 | 174031 |
| Tofu, firm, calcium-set1/4 block, 81 g | Plants | 1/4 block 81 g | 14.0 | 117 | 12.0 | 172475 |
| Edamame, cooked1/2 cup, 77.5 g | Plants | 1/2 cup 77.5 g | 9.2 | 94 | 9.8 | 168411 |
| Lentils, cooked1/2 cup, 99 g | Plants | 1/2 cup 99 g | 8.9 | 115 | 7.8 | 172421 |
| Black beans, cooked1/2 cup, 86 g | Plants | 1/2 cup 86 g | 7.6 | 114 | 6.7 | 173735 |
| Chickpeas, cooked1/2 cup, 82 g | Plants | 1/2 cup 82 g | 7.3 | 134 | 5.4 | 173757 |
| Hummus2 tbsp, 30 g | Plants | 2 tbsp 30 g | 2.3 | 71 | 3.3 | 174289 |
| Quinoa, cooked1/2 cup, 92.5 g | Plants | 1/2 cup 92.5 g | 4.1 | 111 | 3.7 | 168917 |
| Hemp seeds, hulled3 tbsp, 30 g | Nuts and seeds | 3 tbsp 30 g | 9.5 | 166 | 5.7 | 170148 |
| Pumpkin seeds, hulled1 oz, 28.4 g | Nuts and seeds | 1 oz 28.4 g | 8.6 | 158 | 5.4 | 170556 |
| Peanuts, dry-roasted1 oz, 28.4 g | Nuts and seeds | 1 oz 28.4 g | 6.9 | 166 | 4.1 | 174262 |
| Peanut butter, salted2 tbsp, 32 g | Nuts and seeds | 2 tbsp 32 g | 7.1 | 191 | 3.7 | 174266 |
| Almonds1 oz (23 almonds), 28.4 g | Nuts and seeds | 1 oz (23 almonds) 28.4 g | 6.0 | 164 | 3.7 | 170567 |
| Whey protein powder1/3 cup scoop, 32 g | Powders | 1/3 cup scoop 32 g | 25.0 | 113 | 22.2 | 173180 |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy data (April 2018 release).[1] Values per 100 g are scaled to the serving shown and rounded. Each FDC id links to that food’s record.
How this table was made
Every food value comes from USDA FoodData Central (FDC), SR Legacy data, the April 2018 final release of USDA’s Standard Reference database.[1] We took each food by its FDC id from FDC’s SR Legacy data download on October 27, 2026; values per 100 g are as published. Each row’s FDC id is in the table and in the CSV, so any number can be checked against its record.
How portions were chosen: this table is for small appetites, so portions are smaller than usual. Meat and fish are 2 oz (56.7 g) instead of the usual 3 oz, beans, lentils and quinoa half a cup, cheese 1 oz, eggs one large egg. Where FDC lists a household measure we used its gram weight, or a fraction of it; meat and fish are by weight, cooked. The grams for every portion are shown.
Values are for the food as described (cooked, canned, raw) and are rounded: milligrams to whole numbers, grams to one decimal. A brand or recipe can differ, so for a packaged food the Nutrition Facts label on that package is the better number. This is general information, not medical advice.
Protein per 100 kcal is protein divided by calories for the food itself, so it does not depend on the portion. It shows which foods give the most protein for the least food energy. The adult RDA is 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight, about 46 g for women and 56 g for men at reference weights.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Which small portions have the most protein?
In this table, after a scoop of whey powder (25 g): 2 oz of chicken breast and a 6 oz cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt (about 17 g each), 2 oz of turkey breast (17 g), then 2 oz of pork tenderloin or 90% lean beef (about 15 g).[1]
What does protein per 100 kcal mean?
Grams of protein for every 100 calories of the food. Shrimp, tuna, cod and turkey breast are above 20 g per 100 kcal; nuts and seeds are around 4 to 6 g, because most of their calories come from fat.[1]
How much protein do adults need a day?
The RDA is 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight, about 46 g a day for women and 56 g for men at the reference weights.[2] A 2025 joint advisory notes that 1.2 to 1.6 g per kg has been proposed while body weight is coming down;[3] ask your clinician what fits you.
What are good plant sources of protein in small portions?
A quarter block of firm tofu (14 g), half a cup of edamame (9 g), 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds (9.5 g), half a cup of lentils (9 g) and an ounce of pumpkin seeds (8.6 g).[1]
Why use 2 oz portions of meat and fish?
A 2 oz portion is about two-thirds of a standard 3 oz serving, a size that is easier to finish when appetite is small. Multiply by 1.5 for a 3 oz serving.
Related
Cite this table
APA
Zornava. (2026). Protein in small portions: grams per bite-sized serving [Data set]. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://zornava.com/pages/protein-small-portions
Plain text
Zornava, “Protein in small portions: grams per bite-sized serving,” zornava.com, updated October 27, 2026, https://zornava.com/pages/protein-small-portions (accessed October 27, 2026).
Embed this table
Paste this HTML into your page. It is a plain table with a credit link back here, free to use under CC BY 4.0 as long as you keep the credit line “Source: Zornava, zornava.com”. It is not an iframe: zornava.com sends X-Frame-Options: DENY, so an iframe of this page would show up blank.
References
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. USDA. (SR Legacy, April 2018 release; FDC ids per row in the table) fdc.nal.usda.gov. ↩︎
- Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. National Academies Press. 2005. nap.nationalacademies.org. doi: 10.17226/10490. ↩︎
- Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Aggarwal M, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2025;33(8):1475–1503. Full text. PMID: 40445127. doi: 10.1002/oby.24336. ↩︎