High-protein foods for weight loss: the Australian shopping list
Most "high-protein foods" lists rank food by protein per 100g. That is the wrong measure if you are trying to lose weight, because it treats almonds and prawns as rivals when one carries six times the Calories of the other. The number that matters is protein per Calorie. Here is the supermarket list ranked that way, plus what the research actually says protein does and does not do for fat loss.
What protein does and doesn't do for weight loss
Fat loss comes from eating fewer Calories than you use. No food changes that. What protein does is make the deficit easier to stick to and protect what you want to keep.
- It is the most filling macronutrient. Higher-protein meals tend to keep people fuller for longer than the same Calories from carbohydrate or fat, which makes a deficit easier to hold.
- It costs more energy to digest. A larger share of protein's Calories is used up processing it than with carbohydrate or fat. The effect is real but small. It will not out-run a bad week.
- It protects muscle in a deficit. When Calories drop, protein is what keeps the weight you lose from being muscle. This matters more than either point above.
The practical target in a deficit is higher than usual: around 1.6 to 2.2g per kilogram of target body weight for people who train, spread across three or four meals. If you are not training, 1.2 to 1.6g/kg is a sensible range. Our guide to how much protein you need a day explains the maths.
The list, ranked by protein per 100 Calories
Figures are rounded averages from typical Australian nutrition panels for the food as eaten. Brands vary, so check the label on what you buy.
| Food | Protein per 100 Cal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prawns, cooked | about 24g | Close to pure protein |
| Tuna in springwater | about 22g | Cheapest lean protein in the shop |
| Tuk-Dak Taco chicken | about 22g | 26g a pack, 117 Cal, 0g carbs |
| Egg whites | about 21g | Mix with whole eggs for flavour |
| White fish, cooked | about 21g | Basa, barramundi, snapper |
| Tuk-Dak Mild chicken | about 20g | 24g a pack, 117 Cal |
| Chicken breast, cooked | about 19g | Skinless, no oil |
| Low-fat Greek yoghurt | about 16g | Full-fat is closer to 7g |
| Low-fat cottage cheese | about 15g | Good on toast or crackers |
| Lean beef mince, cooked | about 15g | Choose 5% fat |
| yohemite Daily Protein Shake | about 14g | 22g of plant protein a pouch |
| Firm tofu | about 11g | Varies a lot by brand |
| Skim milk | about 10g | Easy to add to oats |
| Whole eggs | about 9g | Filling, plus a wide range of nutrients |
| Edamame | about 9g | Plus fibre |
| Lentils, cooked | about 8g | Plus a lot of fibre |
| Peanut butter | about 4g | A fat source, not a protein source |
| Almonds | about 4g | Same story as peanut butter |
Two things stand out. Seafood and lean poultry dominate the top, which is why they show up in every serious fat loss plan. And nuts and nut butters, often sold as "protein snacks", deliver very little protein for their Calories. They are healthy foods, just not protein foods.
Don't ignore the foods lower down
A list ranked on one number can mislead. Whole eggs, lentils and edamame sit lower because they carry fat or carbohydrate, but that comes with fibre, micronutrients and staying power. A plan built only from the top five would be hard to keep up for more than a few weeks.
A better approach is to anchor each meal with something from the top half, then fill the plate with vegetables and a sensible portion of the slower foods. For example, a Taco Tuk-Dak pack in a wrap with lettuce and salsa, or eggs with a side of edamame.
We sell protein cookies and wafers too. They are good snacks. But a LABNOSH Mini Cookie has 9g of protein for 215 Calories, which is about 4g per 100 Calories. That is a treat with protein in it, not a weight loss food. If the goal is fat loss, choose snacks from the top half of the table.
A day that hits 120g of protein under 1,600 Calories
For a 70kg person who trains. Protein figures are rounded.
- Breakfast: two eggs and two egg whites on one slice of wholegrain toast with spinach. About 25g.
- Lunch: a Mild Tuk-Dak pack over a large salad with chickpeas and lemon. About 32g.
- Afternoon: low-fat Greek yoghurt with berries. About 18g.
- Dinner: barramundi with roast vegetables and half a cup of rice. About 35g.
- Evening: a glass of skim milk or a protein shake. About 10 to 20g.
Who should get advice first
High protein intakes are well tolerated by healthy adults. If you have kidney disease, diabetes, a history of disordered eating, or are pregnant, talk to your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian before changing how you eat. The same goes for anyone planning to lose a large amount of weight.
The short version
- Protein does not cause fat loss on its own. It makes a Calorie deficit easier and protects muscle.
- Rank foods by protein per Calorie, not per 100g.
- Seafood, lean poultry, egg whites and low-fat dairy top the list.
- Nuts and nut butters are healthy, but they are fat sources.
- Anchor each meal with a top-half protein, then add vegetables and fibre.
24 to 26g of protein for 117 to 143 Calories.
Tuk-Dak shelf-stable chicken breast is ready to eat and keeps for 12 months sealed. Dispatched same day from our Sydney warehouse.
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