Dairy and eggs
Parmesan on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 35 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), hard, grated or in a block, for around 400 calories. Two heaped tablespoons, grated, about 20 g (0.7 oz), give roughly 7 g of protein for 80 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from parmesan alone you would need about 86 g (3.0 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How parmesan sits on a GLP-1
Parmesan is the densest protein in the dairy aisle at about 35 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), higher than any meat, and it has one property that matters more than the number on a GLP-1: it makes bland food taste savoury. When the medication has flattened your palate and a bowl of soup or pasta tastes of nothing, a grating of parmesan is often what gets the bowl finished. It is salty and rich, so the serve stays small.
When your appetite is small
Grate it over everything you were going to eat anyway. Two heaped tablespoons, about 20 g (0.7 oz), on soup, eggs, beans, mince or a small bowl of pasta adds 7 g of protein and a lot of flavour without adding a single mouthful. Buy a wedge and a fine grater; the pre-grated tubs taste of far less.
Three ways to prepare it
Grated over soup or eggs
A fine grating on the surface of anything hot. It melts in and the flavour does the rest.
Parmesan crisps
Small piles of grated parmesan on baking paper at 200C, about 390F, for five minutes. They turn into salty crisps that are about 3 g of protein each and keep for a week.
Shaved over a small salad with prosciutto
Shaved parmesan, rocket, prosciutto and lemon. A restaurant-sized starter that is about 15 g of protein and gets eaten because it tastes of something.
What to eat it with
Tomato, pasta, eggs, mushrooms, rocket, pear. It brings the salt and the savoury depth, so it pairs with whatever needed rescuing rather than needing a partner of its own.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parmesan | about 35 g | 400 kcal | this page |
| Cheddar | about 25 g | 400 kcal | See the page |
| Biltong | about 50 g | 300 kcal | See the page |
| Anchovies | about 29 g | 210 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, hard, grated or in a block, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Parmigiano Reggiano is the protected Italian cheese; parmesan is the generic name used in all three countries for it and for cheeses made in the same style. Grana Padano is the close Italian cousin and usually cheaper. In the US, the shelf stable shaker of grated parmesan is a different product with anti-caking agents added and less flavour per gram.
Questions people ask
Is parmesan the highest protein cheese?
Among everyday cheeses, yes, at about 35 g per 100 g (3.5 oz). A realistic serve is 20 g (0.7 oz), which is 7 g of protein, so it is a way to raise a meal by a few grams and make it taste better, not a protein stop on its own.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.