High-protein foods in Australia, with kJ

Cooked lean kangaroo, rump steak, chicken breast and canned tuna all give around 26 to 34 g of protein per 100 g, for roughly 540 to 711 kJ. Eggs, tofu and yoghurt sit well below that, while cheese and nuts bring a lot more energy with their protein. Here are 17 common foods from FSANZ's Australian database, ranked.

Ranked by protein per 100 g

Figures are per 100 g from FSANZ's Australian Food Composition Database (AFCD), Release 3. kJ is calories × 4.184.

Ranked by protein per kJ

Protein per 1,000 kJ is the better measure if you're eating to a kJ budget. The top three here are prawns, cooked from raw (53.5 g), kangaroo rump, baked (50.6 g), chicken breast, grilled, no skin (49.8 g). At the bottom, peanut butter, no added sugar or salt (9.2 g) and almonds, raw, unsalted (8.3 g) bring protein along with a lot of energy.

Notes on the numbers

Cooked and raw weights are not comparable: a raw chicken breast loses water in the pan, so the same 100 g cooked holds more protein than 100 g raw. The whole egg figure is for raw egg (12.6 g protein, 531 kJ per 100 g). Firm tofu comes in at 12.8 g.

Want your own target? The protein calculator has the Australian RDI and the 1.6 to 2.2 g/kg range for lifters. The macro calculator turns your daily kJ into grams, and the kJ to calories converter handles the label maths. Eating out? The fast-food pages list protein for every item.

Questions

What has the most protein per 100 g?

Of the foods in the table, cooked kangaroo rump (33.9 g), lean grilled rump steak (32 g), grilled chicken breast (29.8 g) and drained canned tuna (26.1 g) are among the highest. Cooked meat shows more protein per 100 g than raw because water cooks out.

Which high-protein foods are lowest in kJ?

Per gram of protein, the leanest in this table are prawns, cooked from raw (53.5 g protein per 1,000 kJ), kangaroo rump, baked (50.6 g protein per 1,000 kJ), chicken breast, grilled, no skin (49.8 g protein per 1,000 kJ). Drained canned tuna is 540 kJ per 100 g with 26.1 g of protein; grilled chicken breast is 598 kJ with 29.8 g.

Is peanut butter a good protein source?

It has protein (24.3 g per 100 g) but it comes packed with fat: 2,628 kJ per 100 g. A tablespoon adds protein and energy together, so count it as both.

How much protein do I actually need?

The Australian RDI is 0.84 g per kg a day for men and 0.75 g/kg for women aged 19 to 70. People who lift often aim for about 1.6 g/kg. Use the protein calculator for your own number.

Are the kJ figures exact?

They are the database values for the specific foods listed, converted from calories at 4.184 kJ each. Brands, cuts and cooking methods vary, so treat them as typical, not exact for your dinner.

Source

Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australian Food Composition Database, Release 3.

General information only, not medical or dietary advice. Talk to a GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian about your own needs.