Balancing your meals can be tough, especially now that diet is a more complicated equation than the old food pyramid. You have to strike the balance between nutrient-dense and calorie-rich foods, account for carbs and fats and get just the right amount of added sugar and sodium. Wondering about how protein factors in? The recommended daily amount of protein according to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines is no longer a set number but rather a ratio to be adjusted according to your situation.
Protein is a necessary component of your diet to help keep your muscles in good shape and regulate weight, energy levels, hormones and more. That being said, too much of anything, even protein, can be bad for your health.
There are countless Reddit threads debating how much protein one needs. Users have different takes on the quantity, and there is always an ongoing debate about how you can get the necessary amount. The current recommended daily amount numbers say adults should be getting 0.36 grams of protein per pound — 0.8 grams per kilogram — of body weight. What that means, according to the USDA’s dietary intake calculator, is that if you weigh 200 pounds, you’ll need 73 grams, while a lanky 115-pound lady like me would need 43 grams. This calculator also factors in activity levels and BMI.
Of course, it can be difficult to picture 43 or 73 grams of protein outside of powder supplements. But don’t worry, because we’re here to help you get better at recognizing what protein portions look like and hitting your daily goals. Whether you’re a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore, we’ve put together a wide collection of foods that each add up to 100 grams of protein, so you can portion your meals better. The protein amounts below are estimates based on specific products and their nutrition labels, so your figures may vary depending on the brand or preparation method.
Note: Each picture contains 100 grams of protein combined, not 100 grams per item.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for omnivores Amanda Capritto/CNET
Eating 100 grams of protein per day should be pretty easy if you don’t have any dietary restrictions. Here’s what that would look like:
- Two eggs (12 grams)
- Snack cheese (5 grams)
- Greek yogurt (15 grams)
- Beef sausage (14 grams)
- One can of tuna (27 grams)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- 2 ounces of deli ham (10 grams)
- 1 ounce of mixed nuts (5 grams)
- Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
Everything pictured above comes to 103 grams, which puts you slightly over your daily target.
What 100 grams of animal protein looks like for carnivores Amanda Capritto/CNET
As you can see, getting 100 grams of protein from animal products doesn’t take much:
- Four eggs (24 grams)
- One can of tuna (27 grams)
- Three beef meatballs (15 grams)
- 2 ounces of turkey bacon (10 grams)
- 3 ounces of turkey breast (24 grams)
This amounts to a perfect 100 grams of protein. If you ate all of this in a day, plus bread and other nonanimal products, you would surpass 100 grams of protein in a day.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for vegetarians Amanda Capritto/CNET
For vegetarians, 100 grams of protein might look like this:
- Four eggs (24 grams)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- Two snack cheeses (10 grams)
- ¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
- A single-serve Greek yogurt (15 grams)
- One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
- One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
This comes out to 99 grams of protein, which is pretty close.
What 100 grams of protein looks like for vegans Amanda Capritto/CNET
Reaching your protein targets levels up in difficulty when you swear off some of its best sources, but these days there are plenty of ways to meet your goals. This nut- and grain-rich array adds up to 79 grams of protein, the RDA for a 210-pound human.
- 1 ounce of nuts (5 grams)
- ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
- A protein granola bar (8 grams)
- Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
- ¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
- One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- Two tablespoons of chia seeds (10 grams)
- Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
- One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
If we double up on the mixed nuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds, this brings us to 93 grams of protein. You could add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or eat a full cup of oats, instead of half a cup, to come closer to 100 grams.
This plate also excludes high-protein vegan meat substitutes, such as tofu, tempeh or plant-based meats like the Impossible Burger. Those food sources can make it easier to get 100 grams of protein on a vegan diet.
The symptoms of protein deficiency — which is normally part of a broader eating disorder or nutrition deficiency — can vary, but the first one is usually brittle hair and nails, as the body is rationing the protein it does have to more important organs and systems. Other symptoms can include:
- Anemia: continual fatigue, feeling of weakness, shortness of breath
- Weakened immune system, leading to more frequent infections
- Difficulty maintaining focus
- Mood swings
- Muscle loss or weakness
- Swelling
- Weight fluctuations