High Protein Foods That Aren’t Chicken — 20 Alternatives That Actually Taste Good

The protein-eating world has a chicken breast problem. It’s cheap, it’s lean, it’s easy to batch cook — and after the 47th one it tastes like warm cardboard. The good news is that chicken is nowhere near the only high-protein food available, and several of the alternatives are actually superior in terms of protein content, nutritional profile, and — crucially — flavour.

Here are 20 high protein foods that aren’t chicken worth adding to your rotation, with the actual protein numbers so you can plan properly.

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Animal Protein Sources

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1. Eggs — 6g Protein Per Egg, 13g Per 100g

Eggs are arguably the most complete food available. They contain all nine essential amino acids in an almost ideal ratio, alongside choline (critical for brain function and liver health), vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, and healthy fats in the yolk. The bioavailability of egg protein is among the highest of any food source — meaning your body can actually use a greater proportion of the protein than from most other sources.

Two scrambled eggs provide 12g of protein in five minutes with zero meal prep. Four whole eggs equal roughly 24g of protein — equivalent to a chicken breast. For anyone who finds chicken tedious, eggs as a daily protein staple is an obvious, underutilised alternative.

Best ways to eat more: Batch hard-boil a week’s worth on Sunday, add to salads and grain bowls, use as a quick high-protein meal any time of day.

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2. Canned Tuna — 25g Protein Per 100g, ~20g Per Can

Canned tuna is one of the highest protein-per-pound foods available and one of the cheapest. It requires zero cooking, lasts indefinitely in the cupboard, and is as versatile as chicken in most applications. Tuna in spring water or brine keeps the calories lower than tuna in oil — though the oil version provides additional omega-3s.

Best ways to eat more: Tuna with avocado and rice crackers, tuna mixed with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise (higher protein, fewer calories), tuna niçoise salad, tuna pasta.

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3. Salmon — 20–22g Protein Per 100g Plus Omega-3s

Salmon delivers significant protein alongside a dose of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids that no other protein source comes close to matching. It’s also one of the few food sources of vitamin D. Tinned salmon is nutritionally similar to fresh and significantly cheaper — and unlike fresh salmon, it requires no cooking.

Best ways to eat more: Baked salmon fillet with roasted vegetables, tinned salmon mixed with olive oil and lemon over salad, salmon and avocado rice bowls.

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4. Greek Yogurt — 10g Protein Per 100g, 17–20g Per Serving

Full-fat Greek yogurt is the most versatile high-protein food on this list. It works as breakfast, as a snack, as a sauce base, as a mayonnaise replacement, as a dessert, and as a post-workout protein source. It also contains probiotics that support gut health, calcium, and B12.

The key is full-fat, plain Greek yogurt — not flavoured yogurts, which typically contain significant added sugar and far less protein than the label implies. Chobani, Fage Total, and own-brand Greek yogurts are all good choices.

Best ways to eat more: Breakfast with berries and nuts, mixed with cucumber and garlic as a tzatziki-style sauce, as a base for smoothies, as a dessert with honey and walnuts.

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5. Cottage Cheese — 11g Protein Per 100g

Cottage cheese had an unfair reputation for decades as diet food for sad people. In reality it’s one of the most protein-dense dairy foods available — with a substantial portion of that protein coming from casein, which digests slowly and is particularly valuable for overnight muscle repair. It’s mild enough to work in both sweet and savoury contexts.

Best ways to eat more: With fruit and a drizzle of honey as a high-protein breakfast or snack, blended smooth as a base for pasta sauce, mixed with herbs as a dip or spread, on toast as a ricotta replacement.

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6. Beef — 26g Protein Per 100g

Lean cuts of beef — sirloin, fillet, extra-lean mince — provide more protein per 100g than chicken breast while also delivering creatine (the most evidence-backed performance supplement, occurring naturally in red meat), iron, zinc, and B12. The concern about red meat is primarily around processed red meat (bacon, sausages) and very high consumption of fatty cuts — lean beef in moderate quantities is a nutritionally dense protein source.

Best ways to eat more: Lean beef mince for bolognese, chilli, or meatballs; sirloin steak occasionally; beef stir-fry with vegetables.

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7. Turkey Mince — 29g Protein Per 100g

Turkey mince is actually higher in protein than chicken breast — and at a similar or lower price in most supermarkets. It works anywhere you’d use beef mince and has a milder flavour that takes seasonings well. An excellent daily protein staple that most people ignore entirely.

Best ways to eat more: Turkey mince bolognese, turkey meatballs, turkey burgers, turkey chilli.

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8. Sardines — 25g Protein Per 100g Plus Bone-Building Calcium

Sardines are arguably the most nutritionally complete food per calorie available. High protein, high omega-3, rich in calcium (from the edible bones), vitamin D, B12, selenium, and CoQ10. They’re also among the most sustainable seafood choices. Tinned sardines in tomato sauce or olive oil are a complete meal in themselves.

Best ways to eat more: On toast with mustard, mixed into pasta, on a salad with lemon, or straight from the tin — they’re better than their reputation suggests.

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9. Prawns — 24g Protein Per 100g, Almost Zero Fat

Prawns have one of the best protein-to-calorie ratios of any food. 100g of prawns provides around 24g of protein for approximately 100 calories. They’re also quick to cook — frozen king prawns go from frozen to table in under 10 minutes — and work across cuisines from Asian stir-fries to Mediterranean dishes.

Best ways to eat more: Prawn stir-fry with vegetables and rice, prawn tacos, garlic prawn pasta, prawn and avocado salad.

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10. Beef Jerky — 33g Protein Per 100g

Beef jerky is the highest-protein portable snack available — 33g per 100g with a long shelf life that needs no refrigeration. The caveat is sodium content, which is high in most commercial jerky. For post-workout protein on the go or as a snack to replace lower-protein processed alternatives, a good quality jerky is worth having.

What to look for: Short ingredient list, no added sugar, no nitrates. Look for grass-fed beef varieties for a better nutritional profile.

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Plant Protein Sources

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11. Lentils — 9g Protein Per 100g Cooked, 18g Per 100g Dry

Lentils are the most underrated protein food in most people’s diets. They’re cheap, cook quickly (no soaking required), are high in fibre, iron, and folate, and work in dozens of applications from soups and stews to salads and dals. A 200g portion of cooked lentils provides around 18g of protein alongside significant fibre that keeps you full for hours.

The protein is not complete — lentils are low in methionine — but combining them with rice or other grains over the course of the day covers all essential amino acids.

Best ways to eat more: Red lentil dal, lentil soup, lentils in bolognese (mixed with or replacing meat), lentil and roasted vegetable salad.

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12. Edamame — 11g Protein Per 100g, Complete Protein

Edamame — immature soybeans — is one of the few complete plant proteins, containing all essential amino acids. Frozen edamame cooks in three minutes in boiling water, can be eaten as a snack with sea salt, or added to salads, grain bowls, and stir-fries. It’s also high in fibre, vitamin K, and folate.

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13. Black Beans — 8.9g Protein Per 100g Cooked

Black beans are one of the most versatile legumes — and one of the most fibre-dense foods available, which has significant benefits for gut health, blood sugar management, and satiety. A tin of black beans drained is ready in seconds and adds protein, fibre, and complex carbohydrates to any meal.

Best ways to eat more: Black bean tacos, black bean and sweet potato chilli, added to rice bowls, black bean soup.

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14. Chickpeas — 8.9g Protein Per 100g Cooked

Chickpeas are the most versatile legume in most cuisines. Roasted until crispy, they make an excellent high-protein snack. Blended, they become hummus. Simmered in spiced tomato sauce, they become a complete meal. Tinned chickpeas require zero prep and last for years in the cupboard.

Best ways to eat more: Roasted chickpeas as snacks (toss in olive oil and spices, roast 25 min at 200°C), added to curries and stews, blended into hummus, in a Mediterranean grain bowl.

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15. Tempeh — 19g Protein Per 100g, Complete Protein

Tempeh is fermented soybeans pressed into a firm block. It has almost double the protein of tofu, a complete amino acid profile, and the fermentation process improves digestibility and adds gut-friendly probiotics. It has a nutty, earthy flavour that holds up well to bold marinades and high-heat cooking.

Best ways to eat more: Marinated and pan-fried, crumbled as a meat replacement in tacos, sliced and roasted, in stir-fries.

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16. Hemp Seeds — 32g Protein Per 100g, Complete Protein

Hemp seeds are among the highest-protein plant foods available — and one of the very few complete plant proteins containing all essential amino acids in good ratios. Three tablespoons (30g) adds 10g of protein to any meal with no flavour impact. They also contain significant omega-3 fatty acids in the ALA form and magnesium.

Best ways to eat more: Sprinkle over yogurt, porridge, smoothies, or salads. Three tablespoons daily is a genuinely easy daily habit.

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17. Pumpkin Seeds — 19g Protein Per 100g

Pumpkin seeds are among the most nutritionally dense seeds available. High in protein, magnesium, zinc, and tryptophan (a precursor to serotonin and melatonin), they make an excellent snack and a useful addition to meals. A 30g portion provides around 5–6g of protein alongside meaningful magnesium content.

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Dairy Protein Sources

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18. Quark — 12g Protein Per 100g

Quark is a fresh cheese with a texture between Greek yogurt and cream cheese — and a significantly higher protein content than either. It’s virtually fat-free in its plain form, very mild in flavour, and works as a high-protein substitution in baking, sauces, and desserts as well as being excellent eaten straight.

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19. Parmesan — 38g Protein Per 100g

Yes, cheese. Parmesan has the highest protein content of any common food item — 38g per 100g. Obviously the calorie density is high, but 30g of grated parmesan over a meal adds 11g of protein alongside calcium, vitamin K2, and genuine flavour. As a protein addition rather than a protein staple, it’s worth more attention than it typically gets in fitness circles.

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20. Skyr — 11g Protein Per 100g

Skyr is an Icelandic dairy product with an extremely high protein content — higher than most Greek yogurts — a very thick texture, and a clean, mild flavour. It’s lower in fat than Greek yogurt but equally high in protein and works in all the same applications. Increasingly available in mainstream supermarkets.

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Quick Protein Reference Table

Food	Protein per 100g	Notes
Beef jerky	33g	High sodium — check label
Parmesan	38g	Use as addition, not staple
Turkey mince	29g	Higher than chicken breast
Tuna (tinned)	25g	Cheap, zero prep
Beef (lean)	26g	Also provides creatine and iron
Prawns	24g	Extremely low calorie
Salmon	22g	Plus omega-3 — unique benefit
Hemp seeds	32g	Complete plant protein
Tempeh	19g	Complete plant protein, fermented
Greek yogurt	10g	Versatile, probiotic
Cottage cheese	11g	Slow-digesting casein
Skyr	11g	Higher protein than Greek yogurt
Lentils (cooked)	9g	Also very high fibre
Edamame	11g	Complete plant protein

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When Whole Foods Aren’t Enough

For people with high protein targets — particularly those focused on muscle building or body recomposition — hitting 160g+ of protein daily from whole foods alone is genuinely challenging. This is where protein powder earns its place as a convenience tool rather than a replacement. See our complete protein powder guide for exactly what to look for when buying.

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Final Thoughts

Chicken breast is fine. But it doesn’t need to be the default. Eggs, tinned fish, Greek yogurt, lentils, and turkey mince together cover every situation — quick meals, batch cooking, portable snacks, budget-friendly protein — with far more variety and far more nutrition than rotating through the same baked chicken recipe indefinitely.

Pick three foods from this list that you don’t currently eat regularly and add them into your weekly rotation. That’s enough to transform the variety and enjoyment of a high-protein diet without overhauling anything else.

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Disclosure: Peak Health Stack participates in the Amazon Associates programme and other affiliate programmes. If you purchase through our links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This never affects our editorial recommendations.

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