Meat and poultry
Pork loin on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 27 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), cooked, trimmed, for around 180 calories. Two medallions, about 120 g (4.2 oz), give roughly 32 g of protein for 216 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from pork loin alone you would need about 111 g (3.9 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 pork loin sits on a GLP-1
Pork loin sits between chicken breast and steak: leaner than most people assume, softer than beef, and easy to overcook into something inedible. Taken off the heat while it is still slightly pink in the middle, it is one of the more forgiving meats on a slow stomach.
When your appetite is small
Buy medallions rather than a whole loin. Two medallions is about 100 g and 27 g of protein, they cook in six minutes, and there is no leftover roast sitting in the fridge making you feel guilty.
Three ways to prepare it
Medallions in a pan with apple
Six minutes, then a splash of stock and grated apple in the pan. Sweetness helps when savoury food has gone off.
Slow cooked shoulder, shredded
Pulled pork is the softest version of this protein and it freezes in single serves.
Thin schnitzel, baked not fried
A thin crumbed loin steak baked in the oven is soft, and the crumb makes it easier to eat than a bare piece of meat.
What to eat it with
Apple, mustard, fennel or a sharp slaw. Pork with plain potato and no sauce is dry twice over.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork loin | about 27 g | 180 kcal | this page |
| Chicken breast | about 31 g | 165 kcal | See the page |
| Lamb | about 26 g | 215 kcal | See the page |
| Turkey breast | about 29 g | 135 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, cooked, trimmed, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Pork loin steaks or medallions in Australia and the UK; in the US the same cut is sold as boneless pork chops or pork loin chops. Pork fillet in Australia and the UK is the tenderloin in the US.
Questions people ask
Is pork a good protein for a small appetite?
Loin and tenderloin are, at about 27 g per 100 g, as long as you stop cooking them early. Pork belly and sausages are mostly fat and will fill you up long before the protein does.
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.