More to Protein than Meat

Sep 18, 2026

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Introduction
There's more to protein than meat. When many people think of having a protein on their plate, or trying to hit their protein goals, meat is what comes to mind.

But there are so many other ways to get protein besides meat. Yes, chicken, beef, turkey, and pork are all great nutritious protein sources. But what else is there?
Table of Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Benefits of Protein
  3. Eggs
  4. Fish & Seafood
  5. Greek Yogurt
  6. Cottage Cheese
  7. Protein Powder
  8. Tofu
  9. Not a Protein Source
  10. Conclusion

Benefits of Protein
Firstly though, what are some benefits of protein? Protein is made up of amino acids, including the nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own, and therefore needs to come from your diet.

It's also generally more satiating than carbohydrates or fat. It helps muscle maintenance and growth. Protein has many other benefits, so it should be one of the first things you think about when building your plate.

Technically, almost every food contains at least some protein. But that's not particularly useful. When I'm talking about a "protein source", I mean a food where a significant portion of its calories come from protein.

I consider something to be high protein if it has at least 10 g of protein per 100 calories. That means 20 g of protein should come with no more than 200 calories, 30 g with no more than 300 calories, and so on.

This is why a food like peanut butter, despite containing 7 g of protein per serving, isn't what I would consider a protein source. Most of its calories come from fat.

Meanwhile, Greek yogurt can provide 17 g of protein for only 100 calories, making it a protein-first food. The same goes for cottage cheese, tofu, and protein powder. These are all protein-first foods, where the majority of their calories come from protein.
Eggs
Eggs aren't as high in protein as you've been made to believe. 1 egg contains 6 g of protein and 5 g of fat in 74 calories. This makes it fall just shy of my high protein criteria, as the majority of calories in eggs come from the fat in the yolk.

In comparison, egg whites are basically entirely protein, having 4 g of protein in just 17 calories (1 large egg white, 33 g). An egg yolk on the other hand has 3 g protein in 55 calories (1 large egg yolk, 17 g). Egg whites are high protein, but whole eggs are not.

On the flip side though, all egg whites have is protein, while egg yolks pack essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B12 and choline. Egg whites are high in protein, while whole eggs are a more balanced source of protein and fat.

2 eggs are not enough protein for breakfast, thats only 12 g. Instead, have your same 2 whole eggs for the essential minerals mixed with 6 tbsp (90 g) of liquid egg whites. This takes the total calories up from 140 to 190, but increases the protein from 12 g to 22 g.
Fish & Seafood
Another obvious one is fish and seafood. It's just meat of the sea, and most people think of these as protein sources just like land meat. Fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines, or seafood like clams, mussels, and shrimp are popular examples.
Greek Yogurt
Alright, it's time for the king of protein: Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt is cheap, versatile, high protein, low calorie, and simple.

It's super cheap, where I can get a 32 oz (908 g) tub for about $3.50. For the standard 3/4 cup (170 g) serving of plain nonfat Greek yogurt, you get 17 g of protein in just 100 calories. That's just 4¢ per gram of protein.

Greek yogurt has a varying fat/calorie content depending on whether you get whole milk or nonfat. Nonfat yogurt has about 17 g of protein and 100 calories per 170 g. On the other hand, whole milk Greek yogurt has about 16 g of protein and 160 calories for the same 170 g serving. Whole milk is higher in fat and calories, but is richer in flavor.

Where yogurt really shines though is both its ease and versatility. Unlike meat and fish, yogurt doesn't require any prep or cooking. Just open the tub and eat it.

Classic uses of Greek yogurt are for a mildly sweet breakfast, snack, or dessert. You can mix yogurt with tons of different stuff.


You can even bake with yogurt to replace butter or oil, keeping the calories and fat down, while adding protein and still keeping the baked good moist. Or use yogurt as a cream cheese substitute in a frosting.

But Greek yogurt has savory uses too. You can swap out mayo and sour cream for Greek yogurt to slash the calories and fat, while boosting the protein. I like to use yogurt to make lighter versions of dips and dressings, like Lighter Mayo Substitute and Low Fat French Onion Dip.

I can't list every possible way to use yogurt, so instead I'll just link a bunch of recipes that use yogurt. From standard yogurt bowls, to baked treats, to simple sauces, yogurt has tons of uses:


While you can feel free to get any fat content you can work into your macros, always make sure to get plain. Vanilla ≠ plain. Many flavored yogurts, such as vanilla or strawberry, contain a substantial amount of added sugar. Unless you're specifically looking for a sweetened yogurt, plain is the safer bet.
Cottage Cheese
If Greek yogurt is the king of protein, then does that make cottage cheese the queen? Cottage cheese is very similar to Greek yogurt. They have similar protein content, price, and versatility.

Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt can be easily substituted 1:1 in most recipes generally. Just note that cottage cheese is saltier, and that blended cottage cheese is much smoother than its chunky and curdy form.

Cottage cheese works great in all the same sweet ways as yogurt, like with nuts, fruit, and cocoa. Same with the savory uses, like making lighter dips and sauces.

Similar to with Greek yogurt, I can't list every way to use cottage cheese here. So I'll link you to all my cottage cheese recipes to give the queen a shot.

Protein Powder
Obviously, protein powder is a source of protein. It's a great supplement to add more protein, but that's really all it is. Protein powder shouldn't replace whole food protein sources like yogurt or meat.

Protein powder is something great to keep on hand and have semi-regularly. Of course there's the classic protein shake, but protein powder in yogurt or oatmeal my personal go-to. Or make protein-packed desserts. Below are some recipes with protein powder.


There's different types of protein powder. The main one is whey protein. Whey makes up about 20% of the protein from milk, where the other 80% is casein protein.

When the casein proteins curdle to make cheese, they leave behind liquid whey. This liquid is dehydrated and refined to just leave protein, and thus whey protein powder is made.

Whey is the most popular protein option, and it originally became popular partly because it was a byproduct of cheesemaking. Whey doesn't thicken mixtures very much, making it good for protein shakes because it dissolves relatively easily. Think about trying to mix sugar into water; that's what whey is like.

On the other hand, you have casein. If whey acts similarly to sugar, then casein is more like flour. When mixed with liquid, it absorbs and holds onto more water, creating a thicker, clumpier mixture. This makes it better for baking as a flour replacement, but bad for making a protein shake.

But whey and casein are dairy based protein powders. What is there for vegans? Pea protein.

Pea protein behaves more like casein than whey in recipes. It tends to absorb liquid and thicken mixtures, though generally not as dramatically as casein.

There are other types of protein powders besides whey, casein, and pea. Those are probably the three main types, and they're the only ones I've personally used.

A good baseline for a protein powder is roughly 24 g of protein in a 30 g scoop, under 120 calories, no added sugar, and minimal carbs and fat.

The main problem with many commercial vegan protein powders is that they're surprisingly low in protein density. They may have 30 g of protein per serving, but if that serving weighs 50 g, then only 60% of the powder is protein. It should be a protein powder, not a carb or fat powder.

Always compare the protein content to the serving size and calories. Ideally, a protein powder should be about 80% protein. For example, if the serving size is 30 g, then you want to aim for around 30 * 0.8 = 24 g of protein per serving.

Below are some protein powders that I found on Amazon, with their protein percentages. Anything that's 80% or higher is bolded below:


Most protein powders come in a few different flavor options, such as chocolate or vanilla, as well as unflavored. I tend to get unflavored, since it provides an easier base to work with, and is free of artificial sweeteners, though that's just personal preference.

But protein powder is little more than a supplement. Whenever possible, you should be eating whole food protein sources, like meat, fish, yogurt, or cottage cheese over protein powder.

These foods are higher in other vitamins and minerals that protein powder may be lacking. Plus, they're minimally processed. As healthy as protein powder can be, it's still definitely an ultra processed food.

And while we're talking about protein powder and ultra processed foods, I can't ignore protein bars and the ever growing protein craze. Oh God, where do I start?

Take a look at the nutrition facts. If you multiply the grams of protein by 10, and the number of calories is less than or equal to that result, then it meets my definition of high protein. What this is saying is that, in order for something to be high protein, it needs to contain at least 10 g of protein per 100 calories.

For example, if a protein bar has 220 calories, then the minimum amount of protein it should have is 22. If it's only 150 calories, then it only needs to have 15 g of protein. Stop looking at the base protein number, and instead look at the protein to calorie ratio.

Not only do many protein bars and protein snacks fail to meet this standard, but they also contain a paragraph of ingredients you've never heard of. A protein bar is definitely healthier than a candy bar in many cases, but that doesn't automatically make it a healthy snack. Some are essentially candy bars with added protein.

Protein bars can be helpful in a pinch, but they shouldn't be a staple of your diet. Your digestion and wallet will thank you when you stop regularly eating those jaw breaking and bank breaking bricks.

Just because something says "protein" on the label doesn't mean it's high in protein, and it doesn't mean it's healthy. Stick to whole food sources as much as possible, and try to steer away from the highly processed stuff.
Tofu
Moving into the vegetarian and vegan realm, the best protein source is easily tofu, as well as other soy-based products like edamame and tempeh.

Tofu is unique among the vegan "protein sources" in that it's actually high in protein. Unlike beans and lentils, which have significantly more calories from carbs than protein, or nuts and seeds, which are fat bombs and not protein sources, tofu is actually a protein, first and foremost.

Soybeans are a complete protein, and so are soy-based foods such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame. This means that soy contains adequate amounts of all 9 essential amino acids.

All animal-based protein sources (meat, eggs, fish, and dairy) are complete proteins. Many plant-based protein sources are lower in one or more of the nine essential amino acids, although eating a varied plant-based diet can easily provide all of the essential amino acids your body needs.

Tofu is also dirt cheap, being about $1.50 for a 16 oz (454 g) block. That's 37 g of protein and 345 calories, or about 4¢ per gram of protein.

Tofu is also super versatile. You can cut it into cubes and throw into anything that you'd have diced chicken or meat in normally.

But since tofu is a soft block, you can also just mash it like a ground meat. Doing so allows the tofu to mesh into everything without even knowing it's there. Next time you encounter one of those people who claim that they "don't like tofu" without having tried it, you should make them a tofu chili and not tell them it has tofu (maybe throw a pinch of MSG in there though to add some umami).
Not a Protein Source
So meat, fish, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder, and tofu are all good protein-first foods. What about foods that contain protein, but aren't particularly protein-dense? Let's bang out a bunch.

Whole eggs, nuts, and seeds contain protein, but much of their calories come from fat. Beans, lentils, rice, and quinoa contain protein, but much of their calories come from carbohydrates.

No, peanut butter is in no way a protein source. It's healthy and delicious, yes, but healthy largely because of its unsaturated fats, and it happens to supply a bit of protein. Peanut butter has 180 calories with 16 g of fat and 7 g of protein per 2 tbsp (32 g). That's a fat bomb first and foremost.

80% beef contains almost twice the calories of 93%, and falls shy of having 10 g of protein per 100 calories. Bacon and sausage are even worse. These greasy fat bombs hardly contain any protein for their calorie contents.

Cured meats like salami and pepperoni are classified as carcinogenic, and they're also greasy fat bombs. There are twice as many grams of fat in these as protein. You're not eating pepperoni for protein, you're eating it because you like the taste (which is also fine).

Flavored yogurts, like vanilla and strawberry, are sugar bombs with a little bit of protein. They have as much, or sometimes more, added sugar than protein. Some are essentially dessert disguised as breakfast. Same goes for flavored cottage cheese too.

Finally, all those "protein" snacks. Take a look at the nutrition facts, and compare the protein to calorie ratio. To be "high-protein", there needs to be at least 10 g of protein per 100 g, or a value greater than or equal to 10% in the list below.

Below are some "protein" foods with their respective protein percentages. Anything that's 10% or higher is bolded below:

Conclusion
There's more to protein than just meat. Eggs and egg whites, as well as fish and seafood are the obvious choices, but those require prep and can be pricey.

Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are the respective king and queen of cheap, easy, simple, versatile, and nutritious protein. They can be worked into anything, and even contain more protein than many meat options.

Tofu is great as a meat replacement if you're vegan or vegetarian, or you just want to mix up your protein sources. And protein powder works well in a pinch and is more than just for protein shakes.

Finally, always make sure to check the protein per calories in order to see what is actually a protein-dense food, and what just has good marketing.

For a more in-depth analysis into meat, seafood, and dairy, make sure to check out Let's Meet the Meats, I'm Hooked on Fish, and I'm Dying For Dairy. Or for a deeper dive into protein and certain essential nutrients, check out Protein: The Essential Building Blocks and The ABCs of Nutrients.

But not only is there more to protein than meat, but there's also more to meat than protein. Check out the sister article, There's More to Meat than Protein.
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