What 30 g of Protein Looks Like
30 g sits in the middle of the 20 to 40 g per-meal band in the ISSN position stand. The table shows how much of each food it takes to get there, worked out from USDA FoodData Central values.
Created by Roman Leshchuh, founder of Mealyno. Numbers from USDA FoodData Central, published ranges and the plan library. Method. Updated September 2026.
These are general estimates generated from published formulas, not a medical prescription. Not reviewed by a doctor or registered dietitian.
Read the full disclaimer
Every number on this page (calorie targets, macro splits and any suggested meal plan) is produced by formulas (Mifflin-St Jeor for basal metabolic rate, standard activity multipliers) or, for AI-generated meal plans, by a language model applying those same formulas. On meal-plan pages the carbohydrate figure for each meal is calculated by difference: total calories minus protein and fat calories, divided by 4. It is not measured or estimated on its own, so read it as an arithmetic balance and not as an independent nutritional analysis of the dish. None of it is individualized medical or nutritional advice, and none of it has been reviewed by a registered dietitian, physician or other licensed healthcare professional.
Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what is right for you before starting a new diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a diagnosed medical condition, take prescription medication, or have a history of disordered eating. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your clinician before raising protein.
Mealyno never recommends a calorie target below your calculated Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), the minimum energy your body needs at complete rest. Even the most aggressive weight-loss setting is clamped at that floor.
Calorie and BMR estimates use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation (Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990).
Generated: September 2026
Portions that deliver about 30 g
For each food the amount is 30 divided by the protein per 100 g, times 100, rounded to a kitchen-friendly 5 g. The household column uses the food's own USDA portion where one exists. Calories are for that amount, and the last column is grams of protein per 100 kcal, which is where the foods differ most.
| Food | Amount | Ounces | Household measure | kcal | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, roasted | 95 g | 3.5 | 1 x 0.5 breast, bone and skin removed | 157 | 18.8 |
| Turkey breast, roasted | 100 g | 3.5 | 1.25 x 3 oz | 147 | 20.5 |
| Beef top sirloin, broiled | 100 g | 3.5 | 1.25 x 3 oz | 183 | 16.7 |
| Pork tenderloin, roasted | 115 g | 4 | 1.25 x 3 oz | 164 | 18.3 |
| Salmon (Atlantic, farmed), cooked | 135 g | 5 | 0.75 x 0.5 fillet | 278 | 10.7 |
| Tuna, light, canned in water | 155 g | 5.5 | 1 x 1 can | 133 | 22.6 |
| Cod, cooked | 130 g | 4.5 | 0.75 x 1 fillet | 137 | 21.7 |
| Shrimp, cooked | 125 g | 4.5 | 1.5 x 3 oz | 124 | 24.2 |
| Egg, hard-boiled | 240 g | 8.5 | 1.75 x 1 cup, chopped | 372 | 8.1 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat | 295 g | 10.5 | 1.75 x 1 container | 174 | 17.3 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% fat | 240 g | 8.5 | 1 x 1 cup (not packed) | 173 | 17.2 |
| Mozzarella, nonfat | 95 g | 3.5 | 0.75 x 1 cup, shredded | 134 | 22.5 |
| Tofu, firm | 175 g | 6 | 1.5 x 0.5 cup | 252 | 12 |
| Tempeh, cooked | 150 g | 5.5 | 1.75 x 1 serving (3 oz) | 293 | 10.2 |
| Edamame (green soybeans), boiled | 245 g | 8.5 | 1.25 x 1 cup | 345 | 8.8 |
| Lentils, boiled | 335 g | 12 | 1.75 x 1 cup | 389 | 7.8 |
| Chickpeas, boiled | 340 g | 12 | 2 x 1 cup | 558 | 5.4 |
| Peanuts, raw | 120 g | 4 | 0.75 x 1 cup | 676 | 4.5 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 100 g | 3.5 | 0.75 x 1 cup | 559 | 5.4 |
| Hemp seeds, hulled | 95 g | 3.5 | 3.25 x 3 tbsp | 525 | 5.7 |
Real meals that reach 28 to 35 g
These five meals come from Mealyno's plan library. Each has 28 to 35 g of protein, and they are picked for the most protein per calorie among meals under 500 kcal. Portions in the library are fixed, so the numbers are exactly what the plan pages show. Meals like these are the practical route to a per-meal target: one protein food, a base you like and something green, without weighing anything once you know what a portion looks like.
| Meal | Type | kcal | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrambled egg whites with spinach | Breakfast | 220 | 28 |
| Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps | Lunch | 290 | 34 |
| Baked Cod with Lemon and Herbs | Dinner | 310 | 30 |
| Canned tuna in water with pepper | Snack | 160 | 32 |
| Greek Yogurt with Protein Powder | Snack | 160 | 28 |
How to read the table
Two foods can give the same 30 g in very different amounts. Chicken breast and shrimp reach it in about 95 to 125 g, while boiled lentils need over 300 g and bring more carbohydrate and fibre with them. Neither is better. It depends on what else the meal needs.
State matters. Cooked weights have less water than raw ones, so 100 g of roasted chicken has more protein than 100 g of raw chicken. Use the cooking state in the row and weigh food the same way each time.
The household column helps when you have no scale. Where a USDA record has a portion such as a cup or a piece, the amount is shown as a multiple of that portion, rounded to a quarter. Foods without such a portion keep grams and ounces only.
- Aim for a band, not a point. The ISSN reference is 20 to 40 g per meal.
- Pair a lean protein with foods you already like, so the meal stays easy to repeat.
- Use the per 100 kcal column when calories are tight and the portion column when appetite is small.
Where to go next
The how-to guides show whole days at 100, 120 and 150 g, and the protein calculator sets a range for your weight. The ranking page sorts every food in the dataset by protein per 100 kcal.
Want days like these with your own foods and calories?
Get a plan free30 g of protein: questions
What has 30 grams of protein?
About 95 g of roasted chicken breast, 115 g of cooked tilapia, 125 g of cooked shrimp, 175 g of firm tofu or around 300 g of plain nonfat Greek yogurt. The table lists 20 foods with their amounts.
Is 30 g of protein a lot in one meal?
It sits inside the 20 to 40 g per-meal band given in the ISSN position stand, so it is a typical serving in published guidance, not an extreme one.
How many eggs are 30 g of protein?
Hard-boiled egg has about 12.6 g of protein per 100 g, so 30 g takes around 240 g of egg. A large egg is about 50 g, which makes it roughly five eggs. Eggs bring more fat and calories per gram of protein than fish or chicken breast.
Do I need 30 g at every meal?
No. The daily total is the main number. Per-meal figures help you plan, and three to five meals of 20 to 40 g are a common way to reach a daily target.
Is 30 g of plant protein the same amount of food?
No. Plant foods usually need bigger portions for 30 g, for example over 300 g of boiled lentils, and they bring carbohydrate and fibre with the protein. Tofu, tempeh and edamame sit in the middle.
Is a high-protein diet safe?
These ranges are general guidance for healthy adults. If you have kidney disease or another medical condition, ask your clinician before raising protein.
Sources
- Jäger R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2017.
- Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity. ACLM, ASN, OMA, TOS. Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 (guideline synthesis and expert opinion, not trials in people on these medicines).
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain). Fetched 2026-09-29.