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High protein foods

What foods are high in protein?

  • Meats — beef, chicken, fish, turkey, pork and lamb
  • Milk and cheese — yogurt, cottage cheese and cream cheese
  • Eggs
  • Peanut butter (with bread or crackers)
  • Dried beans and peas (with bread, cornbread, rice)

Listed below are some suggestions for adding calories and protein to your meals and snacks:

  • Add powdered milk (33 calories and 3 grams protein per tablespoon):
    • To foods and beverages
    • To puddings, potatoes, soups, ground meats, vegetables, cooked cereal, milkshakes, yogurt and pancake batter
  • Add eggs or egg substitute (80 calories and 6 grams protein per egg):
    • To casseroles, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, cooked cereal, macaroni and cheese and chicken or tuna salads
    • To French toast and pancake batter (Add more eggs than you normally would)
  • Use cheese (100 calories and 7 grams protein per ounce), as tolerated:
    • As snacks or on sandwiches
    • In casseroles, potatoes, vegetables and soups
  • Use whole milk (150 calories and 8 grams protein per cup) in cooking and food preparation, as tolerated
  • Use peanut butter (95 calories and 4 grams protein per tablespoon) on toast, bagels, crackers, bananas, apples and celery
  • Add Carnation Instant Breakfast™ (130 calories and 7 grams protein per packet) to milkshakes or milk
  • Add nonfat dry milk to whole milk to prepare high-protein milk (“Fortified milk” = 1/4 cup dry milk powder to 1 cup whole milk)