The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recommended daily allowance for protein is 46 g for adult women and 56 g for adult men. Usually, this amounts to about 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Some athletes like to eat extra protein, believing it improves their performance. The USDA classifies foods with at least 10 g of protein per serving as high protein foods. Five to 10 grams per serving earn foods the ranking of "good source of protein."
Meat
Meat is a complete protein in that it contains all the necessary amino acids. Roasted duck packs a whopping 51.89 g per serving. Turkey and chicken weigh in around 40 g of protein per serving. A fast food hamburger has a lot of fat and calories but still delivers about 34 g of protein.
Fish
Many types of fish are both high in protein and low in fat. A serving of halibut or salmon reaps about 42 g of protein, with haddock and rockfish measuring around 36 g. Light tuna canned with oil contains about 25 g of protein per serving.
Dairy
Cheese, milk and yogurt are all good protein sources. Both a cup of low-fat cottage cheese and a cup of ricotta made with whole milk contain about 28 g of protein. Sweetened canned condensed milk has 24 g of protein per cup.
Soy Products
Soy products are considered healthy for the heart. They are also full of protein. Tempeh, a fermented soy product, packs 41 g of protein in a cup. Mature boiled soybeans contain almost 29 g per cup, while green soybeans contain 22 g.
Beans and Legumes
Beans are considered an incomplete protein because they lack certain essential amino acids. However, what beans lack, grains can supply. So if you are counting on mostly vegetable sources, be sure to combine healthy grains with the beans in your diet. White beans and lentils are two of the highest protein legumes, at 19 and 18 g, respectively. Kidney beans and black beans are also good choices at about 15 g of protein per cup.
Grains
Certain grains are also surprisingly high in protein. Raw pearled barley contains almost 20 g per cup. Wheat flour contains more than 16 g. Quinoa is another standout grain and even contains all the essential amino acids.
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