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Foods high in protein

Protein is needed for the growth and repair of body tissues and for making enzymes and hormones. Foods near the top of this list include dried prawns, dried chicken egg white, dried squid and dried shrimps. Dried salted beef, dried whole egg and lean cooked pork also feature among the leading foods.

The list ranks foods by their protein content per 100g, so typical portion sizes matter when comparing how much protein they provide. Drying removes water, which concentrates protein and other nutrients by weight. Salt and saturated fat content are also worth considering, particularly for dried salted meats and pork scratchings. Full nutrient figures are in the tables below.

Further reading and references

  • Public Health England. McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021. GOV.UK.

Article history

The information on this page is written and peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.
  • 3 Nov 2026 | Latest version
  • 3 Nov 2026 | Originally published