The fun protein quest

This is a little game I have started with my husband. He weight trains and is currently doing body beast. i do cardio but we both are eating healthy and trying to eat lots of protein.

Our game is who can find the food containing the least calories per 1g of protein?

So my example being prawns per 100g you get 20.14g of protein to 105 cals. Which works out as 1g of protein cost 5.21 cals. Depends on which prawns you eat but that's pretty good.

Also low fat cottage cheese 6.99 cals per 1 g of protein that's pretty good.

Or one of my favourites biltong by bundu (South African jerky)

5.21 cals per 1g of protein

Who wants to play? Who can find the lowest cal per 1 g of protein.

«1

Replies

  • maggiemay530
    maggiemay530 Posts: 123 Member
    Bookmarking this... having trouble getting protein up and staying within cal. range, so hope you get some players on here! Can do cottage cheese, but have an awful dislike for fish / prawns etc. Thanks for posting!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    0% Greek yogurt is pretty good 97cals = 18g

    I can't eat prawns ...so that factoid makes me sad ...I love them but they don't love me
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    Bookmarking this... having trouble getting protein up and staying within cal. range, so hope you get some players on here! Can do cottage cheese, but have an awful dislike for fish / prawns etc. Thanks for posting!

    Cool lets hope we can find some good ones. The only problem is food changes so much form item to item. My cottage cheese ratio will be different to other brands so always need to check the label and calculate the one you have bought.
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    0% Greek yogurt is pretty good 97cals = 18g

    I can't eat prawns ...so that factoid makes me sad ...I love them but they don't love me

    Good. Calorie spend of 5.38 per 1g. My target is trying to find ones under 5 and as close to 4 as possible.
  • mirrim52
    mirrim52 Posts: 763 Member
    Tilapia - 129 cal/100 g and 26g protein. = 4.96 cals/g
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    edited August 2015
    ooo I love this list. Here's what I found from google:

    Tuna (4.46 calories per gram of protein)
    Tilapia (4.96 calories per gram of protein)


    When I get home I'm going to cram a bunch of prawns in my mouth to get my protein macro for the day. Hot.

    92152203.png
  • Morgaen73
    Morgaen73 Posts: 2,817 Member
    I love lean biltong. Woolies is quite good with this.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Canned tuna in spring water - 120 cal for 28g protein = 4.29 cal/g
  • maggiemay530
    maggiemay530 Posts: 123 Member
    Canned tuna in spring water - 120 cal for 28g protein = 4.29 cal/g

    This is a good one! Hate fish, but can do tuna... go figure!
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
    I thought mussels were good but they're around 7 cals per g of protein.
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    Protranser wrote: »
    ooo I love this list. Here's what I found from google:

    Tuna (4.46 calories per gram of protein)
    Tilapia (4.96 calories per gram of protein)


    When I get home I'm going to cram a bunch of prawns in my mouth to get my protein macro for the day. Hot.

    92152203.png

    Google is good but I have found they average a lot of things. It told me salmon was under 5 but when I actually checked the salmon I had bought the pack says 9.73 cals per 1 g instead of googles generalising.
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    louise5779 wrote: »

    Google is good but I have found they average a lot of things. It told me salmon was under 5 but when I actually checked the salmon I had bought the pack says 9.73 cals per 1 g instead of googles generalising.

    I hope to see more contributors to your great list idea :) i do love salmon though. I'll take the calorie hit for it


    92152203.png[/quote]
  • Bacchants
    Bacchants Posts: 92 Member
    Ooo I hadn't worked out the numbers precisely, but I do love prawns as a snack.

    M&S do some really nice ones in various sauces which are ready to eat.
  • jotough
    jotough Posts: 11 Member
    My asda frozen scallops are coming out at 4.9!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited August 2015
    I can't believe nobody mentioned the food that has the LEAST calories per protein gram. Egg whites! ~4.35 calories per gram. (well, there is spirulina at 4.33 but nobody just munches on spirulina pills for sustenance.)
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
    louise5779 wrote: »
    This is a little game I have started with my husband. He weight trains and is currently doing body beast. i do cardio but we both are eating healthy and trying to eat lots of protein.
    Eating healthy is far more than lots of Protein both fats and carbs are also important. This over obsession with protein gets a little silly. Protein is important but so is a balanced diet... Just saying
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    jotough wrote: »
    My asda frozen scallops are coming out at 4.9!

    I'm going on a scallop hunt.
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    isulo_kura wrote: »
    louise5779 wrote: »
    This is a little game I have started with my husband. He weight trains and is currently doing body beast. i do cardio but we both are eating healthy and trying to eat lots of protein.
    Eating healthy is far more than lots of Protein both fats and carbs are also important. This over obsession with protein gets a little silly. Protein is important but so is a balanced diet... Just saying

    Honesty, didn’t I say healthy eating in my op. It’s just a game to hit our protein goals. I do eat healthy and lots of fats and carbs too. I think every food mentioned here is classed as healthy they and all whole foods and not processed. I think the people on here that jump on criticize a bit of fun are silly. Salmon and tuna is full of omega 3 and healthy oils. Cottage cheese fat and calcium. Plus I’m am an almond junky!! How does 75% fat grab you. Stop judging people!!!
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    I can't believe nobody mentioned the food that has the LEAST calories per protein gram. Egg whites! ~4.35 calories per gram. (well, there is spirulina at 4.33 but nobody just munches on spirulina pills for sustenance.)

    Love eggs!! have them every day but whole eggs because I love the yolks so much!! pushes the protein/cal to 11.66.
  • MagnoliaStorm
    MagnoliaStorm Posts: 32 Member
    Natto - a Japanese food that is fermented soybeans - contains 4 kcal / g (8.25g - 33kcal)
    Generally high in protein
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Natto - a Japanese food that is fermented soybeans - contains 4 kcal / g (8.25g - 33kcal)
    Generally high in protein


    Google tells me this is 212 cals for 100g natto, which includes 18g protein, so it's 11.78 cals per gram of protein.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
    Nobody's thrown out grilled chicken breast?
    110 cals/100grams, 23.09 grams protein.
    4.76 cals/1 gram protein.
  • louise5779
    louise5779 Posts: 82 Member
    Lobster 4.68/1 gram protein
  • This content has been removed.
  • MrsSylvie
    MrsSylvie Posts: 301 Member
    today dinner meat; Purdue fat-free ground chicken breast cooked = 4.8 calories per gram of protein.
    (incase i got my math wrong; 3oz was 91c/19g of p)

  • janiep81
    janiep81 Posts: 248 Member
    Great thread! I needed this info!
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    Homemade seitan comes in at 4.9 calories per g protein
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    edited August 2015
    This thread helped me meet my protein macro for today, and I saved up a bunch of calories for a gluttonous barbecue I'm going to attend this weekend. Thank you!

    92152203.png
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    This thread is so bookmarked.

    Frozen baby clams- for Crown Prince brand, I get 16 g protein per 100 grams for 91 calories (and 164% of DV for iron!). 5.7 calories per gram (not the lowest but not bad!)
  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
    edited August 2015
    louise5779 wrote: »
    I can't believe nobody mentioned the food that has the LEAST calories per protein gram. Egg whites! ~4.35 calories per gram. (well, there is spirulina at 4.33 but nobody just munches on spirulina pills for sustenance.)

    Love eggs!! have them every day but whole eggs because I love the yolks so much!! pushes the protein/cal to 11.66.

    Love this I love eggs the reason I eat eggs is for the yolk. When I was a kid I would eat just the yolk and my dad would get in me for wasting food.