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Protein on a small appetite.
Forty foods ranked by protein per 100 g and per small serve, in grams and ounces. Plus the first-bite rule and the three Sunday numbers. Written for people on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound or Saxenda who can only manage a few bites.
The forty foods
Ranked by protein per 100 g
Per 100 g is the fair comparison. The serve column is what actually fits when you can only manage a few bites, and the last column is what that serve gives you. Cooked weights for meat and fish. Numbers are typical values and vary by brand and cut; the label wins if it says otherwise.
| # | Food | Per 100 g (3.5 oz) | Small serve | Protein in that serve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Whey or plant protein powder Mix with milk for another 8 g | 75 g | 30 g / 1.1 oz 1 scoop | 23 g |
| 02 | Parmesan Two tablespoons | 35 g | 20 g / 0.7 oz grated over anything | 7 g |
| 03 | Beef jerky or biltong Salty; good with water | 33 g | 30 g / 1.1 oz a small handful | 10 g |
| 04 | Chicken breast, cooked Slice it cold for snacks | 31 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz a palm-sized piece | 31 g |
| 05 | Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) Sprinkle on yoghurt | 30 g | 30 g / 1.1 oz a small handful | 9 g |
| 06 | Turkey breast, cooked | 30 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz a palm-sized piece | 30 g |
| 07 | Pork loin, lean, cooked | 29 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz a small chop | 29 g |
| 08 | Lean steak, cooked Rump or sirloin, fat trimmed | 28 g | 120 g / 4.2 oz a small steak | 34 g |
| 09 | Lamb, lean, cooked | 27 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz two small cutlets | 27 g |
| 10 | Lean beef mince, cooked Bolognese, tacos, patties | 26 g | 120 g / 4.2 oz a cup, cooked | 31 g |
| 11 | Tuna, canned, drained In springwater or oil | 26 g | 95 g / 3.4 oz one small can | 25 g |
| 12 | Chicken thigh, skinless, cooked Softer than breast | 25 g | 120 g / 4.2 oz two small thighs | 30 g |
| 13 | Salmon, cooked | 25 g | 120 g / 4.2 oz a small fillet | 30 g |
| 14 | Cheddar | 25 g | 30 g / 1.1 oz a matchbox-sized piece | 8 g |
| 15 | Peanut butter Energy dense; small serve | 25 g | 30 g / 1.1 oz two tablespoons | 8 g |
| 16 | Sardines, canned, drained Soft, easy on a bad day | 24 g | 90 g / 3.2 oz one can | 22 g |
| 17 | Prawns (shrimp), cooked | 24 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz about 8 medium | 24 g |
| 18 | Smoked salmon Soft, needs no cooking | 23 g | 50 g / 1.8 oz two slices | 12 g |
| 19 | White fish, cooked Barramundi, cod, basa, tilapia | 22 g | 120 g / 4.2 oz a small fillet | 26 g |
| 20 | Halloumi | 22 g | 60 g / 2.1 oz two slices, grilled | 13 g |
| 21 | Canned salmon, drained Bones in for calcium | 21 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz half a large can | 21 g |
| 22 | Almonds | 21 g | 30 g / 1.1 oz about 20 nuts | 6 g |
| 23 | Mussels, cooked | 20 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz about 10 | 20 g |
| 24 | Tempeh | 19 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz half a block | 19 g |
| 25 | Ham, lean, sliced | 18 g | 50 g / 1.8 oz two slices | 9 g |
| 26 | Firm tofu Press it, then pan fry | 16 g | 150 g / 5.3 oz half a block | 24 g |
| 27 | Feta | 14 g | 40 g / 1.4 oz crumbled over a salad | 6 g |
| 28 | Eggs Scrambled soft goes down easiest | 13 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz two eggs | 13 g |
| 29 | Oats, dry Cook in milk for another 8 g | 13 g | 40 g / 1.4 oz half a cup | 5 g |
| 30 | Cottage cheese Sweet or savoury | 12 g | 200 g / 7.1 oz a small tub | 24 g |
| 31 | Skyr or high-protein yoghurt | 11 g | 150 g / 5.3 oz one pot | 17 g |
| 32 | Ricotta Stir into pasta or eggs | 11 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz half a cup | 11 g |
| 33 | Egg whites Add to whole eggs | 11 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz three whites | 11 g |
| 34 | Edamame, shelled Frozen is fine | 11 g | 100 g / 3.5 oz two thirds of a cup | 11 g |
| 35 | Greek yoghurt, plain Not the sweetened kind | 10 g | 200 g / 7.1 oz a small tub | 20 g |
| 36 | Wholegrain bread Carrier, not the protein | 9 g | 40 g / 1.4 oz one slice | 4 g |
| 37 | Lentils, cooked Canned, rinsed, is fine | 9 g | 150 g / 5.3 oz three quarters of a cup | 14 g |
| 38 | Hummus | 8 g | 60 g / 2.1 oz three tablespoons | 5 g |
| 39 | Chickpeas or beans, canned, drained | 7 g | 120 g / 4.2 oz half a can | 8 g |
| 40 | Milk, dairy or soy Base for shakes and oats | 3.4 g | 250 g / 8.8 oz a glass (250 ml, 8.5 fl oz) | 9 g |
The first-bite rule
On a GLP-1 you may only manage a few bites before you are full. If the first bites are toast, fruit or soup, the protein never arrives. So: protein first, every meal, before anything else. Eggs before the toast. Chicken before the rice. Yoghurt before the fruit.
Aim for 30 to 40 g (1 to 1.4 oz) of protein at each of three or four small meals. Under 1.2 g per kg of your goal weight (0.55 g per lb) across the week, your body takes the shortfall from your own muscle.
The three Sunday numbers
The scale tells you what you lost. These tell you what you kept. Same time every Sunday, written down.
- A strength test. One movement, same way each week: 30-second sit-to-stand, push-ups, or goblet squats. Fat loss does not make you weaker, so dropping three or four weeks in a row is a real signal.
- Your protein average. Grams a day across the whole week, not your best day.
- Upper arm tape. Same arm, same spot, relaxed, in cm or inches. The waist shrinks whatever you do. If the arm shrinks as fast, that is muscle.
Weight is number four.
The number is the easy part. Hitting it every week is the kit.
The Keep Muscle Kit: the 12-week workbook, the 2-Day Strength Plan, seven-day meal plans at 100, 120 and 140 g, the Sunday tracker and the injection-day card. 107 pages, instant download, A$47 until 6 October.
See the kit Or work out your own target firstNutrition and strength coaching, not medical advice. People with kidney disease should get a protein target from their doctor. Nothing here is about your dose; that is between you and your prescriber.