High Protein Food Sources

You need protein to help you heal and to maintain your muscle mass. High protein foods don’t have to be high in calories. Try some of the foods on this list to increase your protein intake.

Meat and Meat Substitutes

• *Meat—lean pork, lean beef, fish, poultry (7 grams per 1 ounce)

• *Beans—black beans, chickpeas-hummus, kidney beans, refried beans and pinto beans (7-9 grams per ½ cup cooked)

• Lentils (9 grams per ½ cup cooked)

• Tempeh (16 grams per ½ cup)

• *Tofu (13 grams per 3 ounces)

• *Boca Burger (14 grams of protein per burger)
  

Eggs and Dairy

• *Eggs (6 grams per egg-the whites contain the protein)

• *Milk (8 grams per 1 cup—choose skim to keep the calories down)

• *Soy milk (8 grams per 1 cup)

• *Greek yogurt (15 grams per 6-ounce)

• Low-fat yogurt (6 grams per 4 ounces)

• Soft cheeses—mozzarella, Brie, Camembert (6 grams per ounce)

• *Medium cheeses—cheddar, Swiss (7 or 8 grams per ounce)

• Hard cheeses—parmesan (10 grams per ounce)

• *Cottage cheese (13 grams per ½ cup)
  

Nuts, Seeds, Grains

• *Nut butters including almond and peanut butter (8 grams per 2 tablespoons)

• Almonds (8 grams per ¼ cup)

• Peanuts (9 grams per ¼ cup)

• Cashews (5 grams per ¼ cup)

• Sunflower seeds (6 grams per ¼ cup)

• Pumpkin seeds (8 grams per ¼ cup)

• Flax seeds (8 grams per ¼ cup)

• Hemp seeds (10 grams per 3 Tbsp)

• Edamame (18 grams per 1 cup of shelled pods)

• *Quinoa (8 grams per 1 cup)

• *Kashi bar (8 grams per bar)
  

*Food options you can find at University Hospital

Who to Call

If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions, please contact UW Health at the phone number listed below. You can also visit our website at www.uwhealth.org/nutrition.

Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) can be reached at: (608) 890-5500.