37 Best Foods High in Protein Low in Calories (Ranked)

If you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, or just eat in a way that keeps you full without piling on calories, protein is the macronutrient that does the heavy lifting. It’s the most satiating of the three macros, it has a higher thermic effect than carbs or fat (your body burns more calories just digesting it), and it’s essential for preserving muscle while you’re in a calorie deficit. That’s exactly why foods high in protein low in calories are worth building a plate around. But here’s the catch that most lists skip: not every “high-protein” food is actually efficient. A tablespoon of peanut butter and a chicken breast can both be called high-protein, yet one gives you roughly 4g of protein for 95 calories while the other gives you 31g for 165 calories. That gap matters enormously when every calorie counts, and it’s the whole reason this list of foods high in protein low in calories is ranked the way it is.

What Makes Foods High in Protein Low in Calories Actually Work

Nutritionists generally use protein density — grams of protein per 100 calories — as the practical benchmark for identifying foods high in protein low in calories. A food that delivers 10 grams of protein or more per 100 calories is considered efficient; anything above roughly 15g per 100 calories is exceptional. This is a more useful measure than protein grams alone, because it accounts for the calorie cost of getting that protein. If you’re unsure how much protein you personally should be eating before you start building meals around this list of foods high in protein low in calories, it’s worth running your numbers through a protein intake calculator first — your target will depend on your body weight, activity level, and whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain.

Why Protein Density Beats Raw Protein Grams

Most food labels and even most “high-protein” lists rank foods by total grams of protein per serving, which can be misleading once calories enter the picture. Consider two real examples: a 100g serving of salmon and a 100g serving of cod both sound like solid protein choices, and both are. But salmon delivers 20g of protein for 208 calories, while cod delivers 18g of protein for just 82 calories. Salmon’s extra fat (mostly heart-healthy omega-3s) more than doubles the calorie cost for barely any extra protein. Neither food is “wrong” to eat — salmon has real nutritional advantages cod doesn’t — but if your goal is specifically to find foods high in protein low in calories, cod is the better lever to pull. This is the entire logic behind ranking foods high in protein low in calories by protein-per-100-calories rather than protein-per-serving: it tells you which foods do the most nutritional work for the least caloric cost, which is exactly what matters when you’re eating in a deficit and every calorie has to justify itself.

The same logic applies when comparing plant and animal sources of foods high in protein low in calories. A 100g serving of tempeh has more total protein than a 100g serving of nonfat Greek yogurt, but on a per-calorie basis, the yogurt is actually more efficient because tempeh carries more fat and carbohydrate alongside its protein. Neither ranking makes one food “better” in every sense — tempeh brings fiber and micronutrients yogurt doesn’t — but if you’re specifically trying to close a protein gap without adding many calories, sticking to genuine foods high in protein low in calories and checking the per-100-calorie ranking is the number to look at first.

The Ranked List: 37 Foods High in Protein Low in Calories

The table below ranks foods high in protein low in calories by protein density (grams of protein per 100 calories), so the most efficient sources come first within each category. All values are per 100g cooked/edible portion unless otherwise noted.

This table covers the core of nearly every list of foods high in protein low in calories you’ll find, but the categories below go deeper into why each group works and how to use it. For a broader breakdown of these same categories with more serving-size detail, see our full high-protein foods guide, or if you’re avoiding carbs alongside calories, check the high-protein, low-carb foods list.

Lean Meats and Poultry: Foods High in Protein Low in Calories

Chicken breast is the reference point most people compare everything else to, and for good reason: 31g of protein for 165 calories is hard to beat once you factor in cost and availability. Turkey breast edges it out slightly on protein density, and both cook well in bulk for meal prep, making them two of the most practical foods high in protein low in calories for everyday eating. Pork tenderloin and 95% lean ground beef are a step down in efficiency but still solidly in the bracket, and they bring iron and B12 that leaner white meats don’t offer in the same amounts. Bison is worth seeking out if you want a red-meat option that stays lean without the trim work.

Fish and Seafood High in Protein Low in Calories

This category dominates the top of the ranking of foods high in protein low in calories. Shrimp, tuna, cod, and tilapia all deliver more protein per calorie than chicken breast, largely because white fish and shellfish carry very little fat. Canned tuna in water is the most practical option for anyone meal-prepping on a budget — it’s shelf-stable, requires no cooking, and a single can covers roughly half a day’s worth of lean protein. Salmon is the outlier here: it’s lower on protein density because of its fat content, but that fat is mostly omega-3s, so it earns its place in a balanced diet even if it’s not one of the most efficient foods high in protein low in calories on paper.

Eggs and Dairy: More Foods High in Protein Low in Calories

Egg whites are close to pure protein — stripping out the yolk removes almost all the fat and roughly 80% of the calories while keeping most of the protein intact, which is why they top most lists of foods high in protein low in calories. Nonfat Greek yogurt, skyr, and low-fat cottage cheese round out this category and are particularly useful because they double as snacks; unlike meat, they don’t need to be part of a cooked meal. If you’re using whole eggs for the yolk’s nutrients (choline, vitamin D), just be aware the protein-per-calorie ratio drops significantly compared to whites alone.

Plant-Based and Vegetarian Foods High in Protein Low in Calories

Plant proteins face a structural disadvantage here: legumes carry carbohydrates and nuts carry fat, both of which dilute the protein-per-calorie ratio compared to lean animal sources. Seitan is the exception — made from wheat gluten, it behaves more like a lean meat nutritionally, with 21g of protein for about 121 calories, making it one of the few plant-based foods high in protein low in calories that can match seafood. Tempeh, tofu, and edamame are still worthwhile choices, especially combined with each other or with legumes to cover the full amino acid profile; if you want the full picture on plant-based completeness, our guide on high-protein, low-carb foods covers several of these pairings in more depth.

Cooking Methods That Keep Foods High in Protein Low in Calories

The numbers in the table above assume the food itself, but preparation method can shift the final calorie count almost as much as the food choice does. Grilling, baking, steaming, and air-frying add minimal calories, while pan-frying in oil or butter can add 100-120 calories per tablespoon used — enough to knock a food off the list of foods high in protein low in calories entirely. A grilled chicken breast stays close to the 31g/165-calorie figure listed above; the same chicken breast breaded and deep-fried can easily double its calorie count while adding almost no extra protein. The same applies to fish: a baked or poached fillet of cod stays near its listed values, while battered and fried fish loses most of its protein-density advantage. If you’re tracking toward a specific protein target, it’s worth being as mindful of how you cook these foods as which ones you choose in the first place.

Foods High in Protein Low in Calories: Snacks Under 100 Calories

Snacking is often where a good day of eating falls apart, so having a short list of foods high in protein low in calories under 100 calories is genuinely useful:

• Hard-boiled egg (1 large): 6g protein, 78 calories
• Roasted edamame (½ cup): 8g protein, 95 calories
• Light string cheese (1 stick): 6g protein, 50 calories
• Turkey jerky (1oz): 13g protein, 70 calories
• Nonfat Greek yogurt (100g, unsweetened): 10g protein, 59 calories

Swap these in for typical zero-protein snacks like chips or crackers and the difference in fullness over the following hours is noticeable — protein’s satiety effect is one of the best-documented tools for sticking to a calorie deficit without feeling deprived.

Foods High in Protein Low in Calories: Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few foods get filed under “high-protein” by habit, even though they don’t belong on a real list of foods high in protein low in calories once you check the math:

• Peanut butter — around 7g of protein for 190 calories per 2 tablespoons; the fat content makes it a poor choice if you’re optimizing for protein density, even though it’s nutritious in other ways.
• Whole milk — protein content is similar to skim milk, but you’re paying almost double the calories for the same protein because of the added fat.
• Granola and protein bars with added sugar — many “protein” bars carry 200+ calories for 10g of protein or less once you account for sugar alcohols and fillers; always check the label rather than the front-of-pack marketing.
• Nuts and nut butters generally — genuinely healthy, but calorie-dense enough that they should be treated as a fat source with a protein bonus, not the other way around.

This distinction matters most when you’re in a calorie deficit and every gram counts — a food can be “high in protein” in absolute terms while still failing the foods-high-in-protein-low-in-calories test if your goal is maximizing protein per calorie.

How Much Protein Do You Need to Benefit From Foods High in Protein Low in Calories?

Research from the International Society of Sports Nutrition puts protein needs for people actively trying to lose fat or build muscle at roughly 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on training intensity and goals — considerably higher than the general population RDA. Rather than guessing, it’s worth running your own numbers through a dedicated protein calculator for weight loss or, if muscle gain is the priority, a protein calculator for muscle gain, since your ideal target shifts depending on which goal you’re optimizing for and how many foods high in protein low in calories you can realistically fit into a day. For a broader look at daily protein needs across different life stages and activity levels, see how much protein you need per day.

Exact amino acid values for any of the foods above can be looked up directly in the USDA FoodData Central database, which is the most reliable free source for verifying protein and calorie counts per serving.

Building a Day of Eating Around Foods High in Protein Low in Calories

A practical way to use this list of foods high in protein low in calories is the 30-30-30 approach: aim for roughly 30g of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a smaller protein-rich snack in between. Spreading protein evenly like this is also supported by research showing the body uses dietary protein for muscle repair more effectively when it’s spread across meals rather than loaded into one large dinner.

Here’s what a day built around foods high in protein low in calories looks like across two sample days, drawn almost entirely from the top of the ranked table above:

• Day 1 — Breakfast: Egg whites scrambled with vegetables, plus a side of nonfat Greek yogurt (~31g protein, ~230 calories)
• Day 1 — Lunch: Grilled chicken breast salad with mixed greens (~35g protein, ~280 calories)
• Day 1 — Snack: Roasted edamame (~8g protein, ~95 calories)
• Day 1 — Dinner: Baked cod with steamed vegetables (~32g protein, ~180 calories)
• Day 2 — Breakfast: Low-fat cottage cheese with berries (~24g protein, ~140 calories)
• Day 2 — Lunch: Canned tuna over greens with a light vinaigrette (~30g protein, ~150 calories)
• Day 2 — Snack: Hard-boiled egg (~6g protein, ~78 calories)
• Day 2 — Dinner: Grilled shrimp skewers with a side of tempeh (~40g protein, ~260 calories)

Neither day requires unusual ingredients or complicated cooking, and both stay well within a typical calorie-deficit target while comfortably clearing 100g+ of daily protein — proof that a diet built around foods high in protein low in calories doesn’t require eating the same three foods on repeat.

Foods High in Protein Low in Calories: The Takeaway

Foods high in protein low in calories aren’t a mystery — the pattern is consistent: lean seafood, egg whites, skinless poultry, and nonfat dairy all sit at the top of the list because they carry very little fat alongside their protein. Build your plate around the foods high in protein low in calories at the top of the table above, use the mistakes section to avoid the common traps, and check your own numbers with a calculator so you know exactly how much protein you’re aiming for each day rather than guessing.