TempoLife › Features › Protein density ranking and cost calculator
Protein per calorie, ranked
Which staple foods deliver the most protein per calorie and per gram — computed from 0 USDA nutrition rows. Plus a bring-your-own-price box: it divides your package price by the protein inside.
Density is not quality: these rankings measure grams, not amino-acid completeness or digestibility. A high rank means "efficient protein", not "the only food you need".
Ranked by protein per 100 kcal
| Food | Protein / 100 kcal | Protein / 100 g | Kcal / 100 g |
|---|
Ranked by protein per 100 g
| Food | Protein / 100 g | Protein / 100 kcal | Kcal / 100 g |
|---|
What your package actually costs per protein
This box computes from your receipt, not from a price list: what you paid, divided by the grams of protein the package delivers.
—
How to read both rankings
Per-calorie ranking favours lean, high-protein foods — cod, chicken breast, egg whites. Per-gram ranking favours dense foods — hard cheese, soy, cured meats — but some of them carry a lot of calories with the protein. Which one you want depends on whether the constraint is your calorie budget or your plate space. Both columns are shown on every row so the two never hide each other.
Source: USDA FoodData Central (via the baked nutrition index) · checked 2026-09-03
Frequently asked questions
What does protein per 100 kcal mean?
It is how much of a food's energy comes as protein: grams of protein divided by calories, scaled to 100 kcal. Lean fish and egg whites score high; nuts score low despite their protein because they bring so much fat.
Is protein density the same as protein quality?
No. This page measures quantity — grams per calorie and per gram. It does not measure amino-acid completeness or digestibility. A food can rank well here and still be an incomplete protein source.
Why are there no prices on this page?
Because this site refuses to invent them. Prices change weekly and by store. The box divides YOUR price by the protein the package actually contains, and nothing else prints a currency figure.
Which ranking should I use?
Per 100 kcal when you care about calorie budget; per 100 g when you care about what is on the plate. They genuinely disagree — that is the point of showing both.
Know the density, hit the target
TempoLife tracks protein against your daily target, so the ranking on this page becomes a logged day.