Following the article about the potential benefits and side effects of whey protein, you may be wondering what are some whole foods high in protein that do not contain milk. In this article, I’ve picked fifty of them from USDA’s National Nutrient Database so that you can use the tables below as a quick reference. While you may find many foods familiar, you might be surprised to find some hidden jewels in this list.
But before we look at the high protein foods list, it is useful to first debunk some deep-rooted myths about proteins:
Animal vs Plant Proteins
Traditionally, animal proteins have always been considered more superior than plant proteins. This led to the unfortunate and persistent thinking that we must consume animal flesh, fish or eggs to prevent protein deficiency. But study has found this to be untrue. Vegetarians aren’t in any way more protein-starved than their meat-eating counterparts.
“it is impossible to design an amino acid–deficient diet based on the amounts of unprocessed starches and vegetables sufficient to meet the calorie needs of humans.”
According to a paper published in 2002, John McDougall, MD, concluded that “it is impossible to design an amino acid–deficient diet based on the amounts of unprocessed starches and vegetables sufficient to meet the calorie needs of humans.”
Of course, the emphasis here are unprocessed foods and eating enough to meet your caloric needs. If you are a vegetarian who eats predominantly highly refined foods and are half-starving most of the time, it is possible to end up lacking not just in proteins but also other nutrients.
Some people may argue that animal sources of proteins give us essential amino acids that cannot be found in plants.
Background: Amino acids are the Lego bricks of proteins: when they are assembled in different combination, we get proteins. In the past, eight amino acids are deemed as essential because our body cannot produce them, and therefore, they must be obtained through one’s diet. Conversely, another group of amino acids are labeled as non-essential because we can always create them when needed. It is popularly believed that plants do not contained all the essential amino acids, and hence are regarded as incomplete protein sources.
As illustrated by Dr. McDougall’s study, this, again, is not true. Contrary to popular myth, it’s not necessary to eat a complete protein at every meal. Our body is smart enough to utilize the protein from multiple meals to assemble the building blocks that it needs. Not to forget, every bite of plant-based protein you take also provides you with additional health benefits of fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins.
Furthermore, the distinction between essential and non-essential amino acids is also increasingly blurred as more discoveries are made about proteins . As it turns out, we now know that under certain circumstances we can also become deficient in the so-called non-essential amino acids in the same way we can become deficient in essential amino acids.
For instance, people with malabsorption syndromes, certain metabolic disease, or lacking in vitamin B6, may not produce enough non-essential amino acids such as cysteine to meet their bodily requirements.
Now that we have cleared the air about proteins, let’s look at some non-dairy, whole foods that are high in protein!
Protein from Meats & Eggs
This table shouldn’t come as a surprise. Chicken, duck, turkey, beef, lamb and pork are all food rich in protein.
| FOOD | QUANTITY | PROTEIN |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast with skin, roasted | 1/2 breast (98g) | 29.20 |
| Turkey breast with skin, roasted | 100g | 28.71 |
| Beef, bottom round, 1/8" trim fat, braised | 3 oz ( 85g) | 27.85 |
| Pork, sirloin , boneless, broiled | 3 oz (85g) | 25.94 |
| Pork, spareribs, braised | 3 oz (85g) | 24.70 |
| Beef, top sirloin, 1/8" trim fat, broiled | 3 oz (85g) | 22.92 |
| Lamb, composite of retail cuts, 1/8" trim fat, cooked | 3 oz (85g) | 21.68 |
| Duck with skin, roasted | 100g | 18.99 |
| Chicken thigh with skin, roasted | 1 thigh (62g) | 15.54 |
| Chicken drumstick with skin, roasted | 1 drumstick (52g) | 14.06 |
| Egg, white + yolk, hard-boiled | 2 eggs (100g) | 12.58 |
Protein from Seafood
Seafood is not just a rich source of protein, they also contain anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. If you are not allergic to sea creatures, don’t miss them out!
| FOOD | QUANTITY | PROTEIN |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic herring | 1 fillet (143g) | 32.93 |
| Cuttlefish | 100g | 32.48 |
| Alaskan salmon (canned) | 100g | 30.70 |
| Octopus | 100g | 29.82 |
| Skipjack tuna | 100g | 28.21 |
| Tilapia | 100g | 26.15 |
| Alaskan king crab | 1 leg (134g) | 25.93 |
| Clam | 100g | 25.55 |
| Blue mussel | 100g | 23.80 |
| Sardine, canned in tomato sauce | 3 sardines (114g) | 23.78 |
| Atlantic mackerel | 1 fillet (146g) | 20.99 |
| Scallop | 100g | 20.54 |
| Shrimp | 3 oz (85g) | 19.36 |
| Squid | 100g | 17.94 |
| Anchovy, canned in oil | 1 can (2 oz) | 13.00 |
| Flatfish (flounder & sole species) | 3 oz (85g) | 12.95 |
Protein from Plants
Beans and tofu are plant foods that are high in protein. If you are sensitive to beans, you may find fermented beans like tempeh and natto more tolerable, and they are also equally rich in protein.
| FOOD | QUANTITY | PROTEIN |
|---|---|---|
| Tofu, hard | 1/2 block (244g) | 30.94 |
| Tempeh, cooked | 100g | 18.19 |
| Natto, used as is | 100g | 17.72 |
| Durian, raw | 2 fruits (1,204g) | 17.70 |
| Pumpkin & squash kernels, roasted | 2 oz (56.70g) | 16.92 |
| Black beans, boiled | 1 cup (172g) | 15.24 |
| Chickpeas, boiled | 1 cup (164g) | 14.53 |
| Mung beans, boiled | 1 cup (202g) | 14.18 |
| Sprouted soybeans, stir-fried | 100g | 13.10 |
| Green soybeans, boiled | 100g | 12.35 |
| Baked beans, canned | 1 cup (254g) | 12.07 |
| Roasted mixed nuts (include peanuts) | 1/2 cup (71g) | 11.90 |
| Winged beans, boiled | 100g | 10.62 |
| Sunflower seeds, roasted | 2 oz (56.70g) | 10.96 |
| Lentils, boiled | 100g | 9.02 |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup (185g) | 8.14 |
| Spinach, raw | 1 package (284g) | 8.12 |
| Spirulina, dried | 2 tbsp (14g) | 8.05 |
| Soymilk, unfortified | 1 cup (243g) | 7.95 |
| Avocado (Florida), raw | 1 fruit (304g) | 6.78 |
| Wild rice, cooked | 1 cup (164g) | 6.54 |
| Brown rice (long-grain), cooked | 1 cup (195g) | 5.03 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1 medium stalk (180g) | 4.28 |
| White rice (long-grain), cooked | 1 cup (158g) | 4.25 |
| Almond butter | 1 tbsp (16g) | 3.35 |
| Kale, boiled | 1 cup (130g) | 2.47 |
