Visualising 30 Grams of Protein in Everyday Foods

Getting at least 30 grams of protein per meal is a common recommendation in health and nutrition circles to increase satiety and maintain stable blood glucose levels.  Getting at least 30 grams of protein per meal is crucial for maintaining muscle mass and supporting overall health.

• But what does 30 g of protein look like? 
• How much of each food do you need to eat to get 30 g of protein? 
• What is the most efficient way to get the protein you need?

In this article, we’ll highlight some popular sources of protein that will provide you with more protein per calorie and show you how much of each food you’ll need to eat to get at least 30 g of protein.

How Much is 30 Grams of Protein?

Understanding how to efficiently get 30 grams of protein from various food sources is key to a balanced diet. For example, at 98% protein, prawns are a very efficient way to get 30 grams of protein, with only 124 calories.  Meanwhile, as you’ll see below, other foods will have a bigger impact on your energy budget. 

The infographic below shows protein sources popular with our Optimisers, starting with the foods that will give you 30 g of protein with fewer calories.  Underneath each picture, you’ll see the quantity (in grams) of the food required to get 30 grams of protein and the calories it will provide. 

In addition to protein, our food also contains water, fat, and carbohydrates, which add to our weight.  As you can see, you need to consume more than 30 g of food to get the minimum protein. 

The table below shows these popular foods ranked based on the calories required to get 30 grams of protein.  Remember, this is a minimum amount.  You may need to eat more depending on your body’s needs and activity level.

food	calories	grams	servings
shrimp/prawns	124	125	21 large
egg whites	143	275	1.1 cups
sirloin steak	160	100	3.6 oz
chicken breast (skinless)	168	97	1 small
Greek yogurt (non-fat)	173	294	1.2 cups
salmon (canned)	179	130	1.5 cans
chicken thigh	189	109	1.6 large
liver	197	103	1/3 cup
filet mignon	200	98	3.5 oz
mackerel (canned)	203	130	0.5 cup
ground beef (93% lean)	213	111	0.5 cup
chicken drumstick	227	110	2 medium

Regardless of your preferred way of eating, you need adequate bioavailable protein.  The infographics below show popular higher-protein foods from different food groups required to get a minimum of 30 grams of protein.

Meat & Offal

Meat is an excellent source of bioavailable protein.  Leaner cuts will provide the protein you require with the protein you need with less energy, which is ideal for increasing your satiety per calorie. 

meat	calories	grams	servings
turkey breast	147	100	3.5 oz
chicken breast (skinless)	168	97	1 small
roast beef	160	100	3.6 oz
sirloin steak	160	100	3.6 oz
pork loin (lean)	164	115	4 oz
beef heart	174	106	0.5 cup
ground beef (97% lean)	174	114	0.5 cup
chicken drumstick (skinless)	227	110	2 med
chicken thigh	189	109	1.6 large
ribeye filet (fat trimmed)	190	100	0.8 fillet
beef liver	200	105	1/3 cup
roast lamb	200	106	3.8 oz

Seafood

While not everyone’s favourite, seafood provides heaps of bioavailable protein per calorie and many harder-to-find minerals and vitamins. 

fish	calories	grams	servings
cod	138	132	¾ fillet
crab	139	168	1.35 cans
pollock	142	121	0.4 fillet
snapper	146	120	0.4 fillet
tilapia	147	115	½ cup
halibut	148	133	0.4 fillet
shrimp/prawns	124	125	21 large
scallops	162	164	10 large
octopus	165	100	0.4 cup
salmon	179	130	1.4 cans
tuna	187	130	0.5 cups
mackerel	202	130	0.5 cups

Dairy & Egg

Lower-fat dairy and egg are also great ways to get the protein you need.  But beware, full-fat dairy comes packed with more energy.

food	calories	grams	servings
egg whites	143	275	1.1 cups
Greek yogurt (non-fat)	173	294	1.2 cups
protein powder (whey)	149	40	1.2 scoops
cottage cheese (low-fat)	233	290	1.3 cups
parmesan cheese	329	84	0.6 cups
whole egg	370	240	5 large
mozzarella (part-skim)	373	375	1.1 cups
milk (low-fat)	374	900	3.7 cups
gruyere cheese	416	101	0.47 cups
gouda cheese	428	120	0.5 cups
Edam cheese	429	120	0.5 cups
Swiss cheese	437	111	5.3 slices

Beans, Legumes, Nuts & Seeds

Beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds can be good protein sources if you follow a vegetarian, plant-based or vegan diet.

However, you must be more intentional to ensure you get the protein you need without excess energy.   For example, you’ll need four times as much energy to get the same amount of protein from chickpeas vs egg whites. 

food	calories	grams	servings
lupini	232	195	1.2 cups
tempeh	293	150	0.9 cups
natto	326	151	0.9 cups
edamame	343	243	1.4 cups
lentils	389	335	1.7 cups
tofu (fried)	430	159	5.6 oz
kidney beans	466	376	2.2 cups
black beans	511	365	2.2 cups
pinto beans	476	333	2 cups
hemp seeds	525	95	2/3 cup
chickpeas	598	430	2.6 cups
pumpkin/squash seeds	574	100	14 tbsp

Plant-based protein sources come bound with fibre, so they’re less available. You’ll need to consume an additional 20-30% to absorb the same amount of protein as you would from meat, seafood and dairy. 

Benefits of Eating at least 30g of Protein per Meal

Consuming at least 30g of protein per meal can enhance muscle protein synthesis and improve satiety, aiding in weight management.

One of the reasons many people refer to 30 g of protein as the minimum amount per meal is that that’s the amount typically required to get 2.5 g of leucine from most foods.  According to research by Professor Don Layman, older adults require at least 2.5 g of leucine to activate muscle protein synthesis, which is critical to building and repairing muscles.  

The chart below shows that older adults require around 2.5 g of leucine or 30 g of protein per meal to activate muscle protein synthesis.  Above 3.0 g of leucine per meal, the benefit of additional protein for muscle protein synthesis tapers off.  So, while 2.5 g of leucine per meal is the minimum required to activate muscle protein synthesis, you need at least 3.0 g per meal to maximise muscle protein synthesis. 

With less than this, the protein you eat is used only to maintain your vital organs, which are a higher priority than your muscles.  While leucine is required to activate muscle protein synthesis, you need all the essential amino acids to build and repair your body, so it’s not as simple as supplementing with leucine. 

How Many Meals Per Day?  

While possible, most people struggle to get all the protein they require in a single meal.

Professor Layman also wisely recommends that you ‘bookend’ your day with a solid dose of protein at your first and last meal to ensure your body has adequate amino acids in your bloodstream throughout the day.  

If you’re trying to lose weight, two meals a day with a snack in between to tide you over tends to be a great approach.  If you’re more active, you’ll likely need to eat more often to get the required energy and protein. 

How Much Protein Do I Need Per Day? 

While daily protein needs vary, aiming for 30 grams per meal is a good rule of thumb starting point for most individuals.

The amount of protein you need will depend on your context and goals.   If you search online, you will find a range of targets, from a minimum of 0.8 g/kg protein per day to prevent protein deficiency in sedentary individuals to 2.2 g/kg for resistance training athletes and more.

The reality is that because we have such a strong appetite for protein, our body ensures we get enough to maintain our current muscle mass.   But because it’s so satiating, it’s hard to eat too much protein, especially while staying within your energy budget. 

For greater satiety, fat loss, and muscle growth,  it’s smart to increase your protein % or the percentage of energy in your diet from protein).  Increasing your protein % empowers you to get the protein you require more efficiently, with less energy. 

As shown in the chart below, created from 838,686 days of data, we eat the most when our diet contains around 12.5% protein.  This is the typical amount of protein in ultra-processed junk food.   However, when our diet contains 40% protein, we eat 34% less energy. 

You can think of 12.5% as the perfect amount of protein for fat gain (i.e. the protein bliss point), while 40% is a healthy stretch target for greater satiety and fat loss (i.e. the Optimal Nutrient Intake). 

The table below shows the amount of protein (in grams) that corresponds to the fat gain vs fat loss settings for different calorie intakes. 

calories	fat gain	fat loss
1000	31	100
1250	39	125
1500	47	150
1750	55	175
2000	63	200
2250	70	225
2500	78	250

For greater satiety and fat loss, work to increase your protein intake towards the fat-loss protein targets that correspond with your current target energy intake. 

How to Determine if You Are Getting Enough Protein

The simplest way to determine if you’re getting enough protein is to track your typical diet and protein sources in Cronometer for a few days to see how your protein intake aligns with the fat loss vs fat gain targets above. 

In our Macros Masterclass, we guide our Optimisers to gradually increase their protein % prioritising protein and dialling back energy from fat and/or carbohydrates.  In addition to protein, our satiety algorithm also guides Optimisers to prioritise the other nutrients, like calcium, potassium and iron, that align with greater satiety and eating less. 

If you’re looking for nutritious, higher-protein recipes, you can download free samples of our maximum nutrient density, fat loss or high protein:energy NutriBooster recipes here. 

More

• Optimal Amino Acid Intakes for Satiety and Weight Loss
• Leucine-Rich Foods for Optimal Protein Synthesis
• Cracking the Hunger Code: Our Data-Driven Satiety Algorithm!
• Protein Rich Foods
• High Protein Foods
• Vitamin Rich Foods
• High Vitamin Foods
• High Minerals Foods
• Mineral Rich Foods
• Comprehensive Guide to Amino Acids: Types, Functions, and Food Sources
• Macros Masterclass