The flagship chart

Protein per cup of stomach space

Every other protein chart ranks food by grams per serving. That is the right number when calories are your limit. It is the wrong number when room is your limit, which is what happens on a GLP-1 medication.

So this chart ranks 59 common foods by protein per cup of volume. Same physical space in your stomach, wildly different returns. Sort it, skim it, or jump to a category.

Last verified: August 30, 2026

Values are typical estimates from standard food composition data and vary by brand, cut, and preparation. Volume figures are the space a serving actually occupies, measured as prepared and ready to eat. This is a food reference, not medical advice.

All 59 foods, ranked

Ranked by protein per cup of volume. Higher is better when room is the constraint.
# Food Typical serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
1 Protein bar, typical 1 bar 20 g 80 9.5
2 Whey isolate powder 1 scoop (30 g) 25 g 75.8 22.7
3 Peanut butter 2 tbsp 8 g 64 4.2
4 Plant protein blend 1 scoop (30 g) 21 g 63.6 17.5
5 Canned salmon with bones 1/2 cup 24 g 48 17.1
6 Smoked trout 3 oz 23 g 46 15.3
7 Canned sardines 1 can (3.75 oz) 23 g 46 12.1
8 Flank steak, cooked 4 oz 33 g 44 14.7
9 Chicken breast, cooked 4 oz 35 g 43.8 18.7
10 Turkey breast, cooked 4 oz 34 g 42.5 19.1
11 Pork loin, cooked 4 oz 33 g 41.2 16.1
12 Turkey jerky 1.5 oz 20 g 40 16.7
13 Lean ground beef, cooked 4 oz 30 g 40 12
14 Canned tuna in water, drained 1 can (5 oz) 30 g 40 23.1
15 Nutritional yeast 2 tbsp 5 g 40 12.5
16 Salmon, cooked 5 oz 34 g 37.8 12.1
17 Lean ground turkey, cooked 4 oz 28 g 37.3 12.7
18 Deli roast beef 4 oz 28 g 37.3 18.7
19 Pumpkin seeds 1 oz 9 g 36 5.7
20 Cod, cooked 5 oz 32 g 35.6 24.6
21 Tilapia, cooked 5 oz 32 g 35.6 22.1
22 Chicken thigh, boneless, cooked 4 oz 28 g 35 11.7
23 Smoked salmon 2 oz 10 g 33.3 15.2
24 Parmesan, grated 2 tbsp 4 g 32 9.3
25 Deli ham 4 oz 24 g 32 17.1
26 Tempeh 3 oz 16 g 32 10
27 Chia seeds 2 tbsp 4 g 32 3.4
28 Shrimp, cooked 5 oz 30 g 30 20.7
29 Cottage cheese, low-fat 3/4 cup 21 g 28 17.5
30 Ricotta, part-skim 1/2 cup 14 g 28 8.2
31 Cheddar cheese 1 oz 7 g 28 6.2
32 Egg whites, liquid 3/4 cup 19 g 25.3 20.2
33 Greek yogurt, plain nonfat 3/4 cup 18 g 24 18
34 Egg, large 1 egg 6 g 24 8.3
35 Mozzarella, part-skim, shredded 1/4 cup 6 g 24 7.7
36 Almonds 1 oz (23 nuts) 6 g 24 3.7
37 Ground flaxseed 2 tbsp 3 g 24 4
38 Skyr, plain 1 cup 23 g 23 17.7
39 Extra-firm tofu 4 oz 11 g 22 10
40 Ready-to-drink protein shake 1 bottle 30 g 21.4 20
41 Feta, crumbled 1/4 cup 5 g 20 5
42 Hummus 1/4 cup 5 g 20 3.4
43 Lentils, cooked 3/4 cup 14 g 18.7 8.1
44 Edamame, shelled 1 cup 18 g 18 9.5
45 Black beans, cooked 1/2 cup 8 g 16 7
46 White beans, cooked 1/2 cup 8 g 16 6.4
47 Chickpeas, cooked 3/4 cup 11 g 14.7 5.4
48 Silken tofu 5 oz 8 g 13.3 10
49 Rolled oats, dry 1/3 cup 4 g 12.1 3.5
50 Kefir, plain 1 cup 10 g 10 9.1
51 Milk, 2% 1 cup 8 g 8 6.6
52 Quinoa, cooked 1/2 cup 4 g 8 3.6
53 Whole-wheat bread 1 slice 4 g 6.7 3.6
54 Brown rice, cooked 1/2 cup 3 g 6 2.8
55 Soba noodles, cooked 1 cup 6 g 6 5.3
56 Broccoli, steamed 1 cup 4 g 4 7.3
57 Avocado 1/2 fruit 2 g 4 1.2
58 Mixed salad greens 2 cups 1 g 0.5 7.1
59 Apple, medium 1 apple 0.5 g 0.4 0.5
28 grams of protein per cup of low-fat cottage cheese
8 grams per cup of cooked quinoa, a food people reach for as a protein
0.5 grams per cup of mixed salad greens, which is why the big salad stopped working

Supplements

Supplements, ranked by protein per cup
Food Serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
Protein bar, typical 1 bar 20 g 80 9.5
Whey isolate powder 1 scoop (30 g) 25 g 75.8 22.7
Plant protein blend 1 scoop (30 g) 21 g 63.6 17.5
Ready-to-drink protein shake 1 bottle 30 g 21.4 20

Plant

Plant, ranked by protein per cup
Food Serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
Peanut butter 2 tbsp 8 g 64 4.2
Nutritional yeast 2 tbsp 5 g 40 12.5
Pumpkin seeds 1 oz 9 g 36 5.7
Tempeh 3 oz 16 g 32 10
Chia seeds 2 tbsp 4 g 32 3.4
Almonds 1 oz (23 nuts) 6 g 24 3.7
Ground flaxseed 2 tbsp 3 g 24 4
Extra-firm tofu 4 oz 11 g 22 10
Hummus 1/4 cup 5 g 20 3.4
Lentils, cooked 3/4 cup 14 g 18.7 8.1
Edamame, shelled 1 cup 18 g 18 9.5
Black beans, cooked 1/2 cup 8 g 16 7
White beans, cooked 1/2 cup 8 g 16 6.4
Chickpeas, cooked 3/4 cup 11 g 14.7 5.4
Silken tofu 5 oz 8 g 13.3 10
Rolled oats, dry 1/3 cup 4 g 12.1 3.5
Quinoa, cooked 1/2 cup 4 g 8 3.6

Fish and seafood

Fish and seafood, ranked by protein per cup
Food Serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
Canned salmon with bones 1/2 cup 24 g 48 17.1
Smoked trout 3 oz 23 g 46 15.3
Canned sardines 1 can (3.75 oz) 23 g 46 12.1
Canned tuna in water, drained 1 can (5 oz) 30 g 40 23.1
Salmon, cooked 5 oz 34 g 37.8 12.1
Cod, cooked 5 oz 32 g 35.6 24.6
Tilapia, cooked 5 oz 32 g 35.6 22.1
Smoked salmon 2 oz 10 g 33.3 15.2
Shrimp, cooked 5 oz 30 g 30 20.7

Meat and poultry

Meat and poultry, ranked by protein per cup
Food Serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
Flank steak, cooked 4 oz 33 g 44 14.7
Chicken breast, cooked 4 oz 35 g 43.8 18.7
Turkey breast, cooked 4 oz 34 g 42.5 19.1
Pork loin, cooked 4 oz 33 g 41.2 16.1
Turkey jerky 1.5 oz 20 g 40 16.7
Lean ground beef, cooked 4 oz 30 g 40 12
Lean ground turkey, cooked 4 oz 28 g 37.3 12.7
Deli roast beef 4 oz 28 g 37.3 18.7
Chicken thigh, boneless, cooked 4 oz 28 g 35 11.7
Deli ham 4 oz 24 g 32 17.1

Dairy and eggs

Dairy and eggs, ranked by protein per cup
Food Serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
Parmesan, grated 2 tbsp 4 g 32 9.3
Cottage cheese, low-fat 3/4 cup 21 g 28 17.5
Ricotta, part-skim 1/2 cup 14 g 28 8.2
Cheddar cheese 1 oz 7 g 28 6.2
Egg whites, liquid 3/4 cup 19 g 25.3 20.2
Greek yogurt, plain nonfat 3/4 cup 18 g 24 18
Egg, large 1 egg 6 g 24 8.3
Mozzarella, part-skim, shredded 1/4 cup 6 g 24 7.7
Skyr, plain 1 cup 23 g 23 17.7
Feta, crumbled 1/4 cup 5 g 20 5
Kefir, plain 1 cup 10 g 10 9.1
Milk, 2% 1 cup 8 g 8 6.6
In production

The GLP-1 Pill Companion puts 90 recipes behind this chart, every one built small and protein-first. The complete first-90-days guide and high-protein cookbook. 90 small-portion recipes, a 30-day plan, and a 90-day tracker you write in.

Other

Other, ranked by protein per cup
Food Serving Protein g per cup g per 100 kcal
Whole-wheat bread 1 slice 4 g 6.7 3.6
Brown rice, cooked 1/2 cup 3 g 6 2.8
Soba noodles, cooked 1 cup 6 g 6 5.3
Broccoli, steamed 1 cup 4 g 4 7.3
Avocado 1/2 fruit 2 g 4 1.2
Mixed salad greens 2 cups 1 g 0.5 7.1
Apple, medium 1 apple 0.5 g 0.4 0.5

How to read this chart

Why per cup and not per serving

On a GLP-1 medication your stomach empties slowly and fills fast. Four bites in, you are done. At that point the question is no longer how many calories a food carries, it is what that food did with the space it took. A serving size is a marketing decision. A cup is a physical fact.

What counts as good

Anything above 25 grams per cup is doing real work. Between 15 and 25 is respectable, and most beans and legumes live here, which is why they are worth eating for the fiber even though they are not protein powerhouses. Below 10 is a food you are eating for a reason other than protein, and that reason had better be good, because the space is not free.

The column people miss

Protein per 100 calories matters too, and it tells a different story. Peanut butter is dense per cup and poor per calorie. Egg whites are the opposite of that. If you are struggling to eat enough, favor the per-cup column. If you are eating comfortably and want to keep the loss going, the per-calorie column is the one to read.

The honest caveats

Protein powder tops this chart and I still would not build a diet on it. Chewing keeps you full in a way drinking does not, so the powders are a floor for bad days rather than a strategy. Same for protein bars, which rank first here and are frequently unpleasant to eat when you are already queasy.

Numbers vary by brand more than people expect, especially for cottage cheese, yogurt, and anything with a protein claim on the front. Read the panel on the back of the one you actually buy.

Cite this page

This chart is free to quote, teach from, and link to. If it helps, an attribution link is appreciated and helps other people find it.

Suggested citation

Scott Wilder. "The GLP-1 Protein Density Chart." GLP-1 Kitchen. Last verified August 30, 2026. https://glp1.kitchen/protein-density/

Get the printable version

The Starter Kit includes this chart as a one-page PDF built to live on a refrigerator door, along with seven queasy-day recipes and the 30-day habit tracker.

Free. The kit downloads on the next page, with nothing to confirm.