Quantity and Quality
When discussing protein, it’s important to examine both quantity and quality.
Protein quality is defined by the capacity of a given food to deliver essential amino acids (EAAs) to the body [1].
In general, the highest “quality” protein comes from animal sources like dairy, eggs, and meat. You can see a list of foods and their protein quality in the table below.
| Protein per 100 g | Protein Quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 32 | .92 |
| Pork | 32 | .90 |
| Chicken | 31 | .91 |
| Tuna | 30 | .90 |
| White Fish | 23 | 1.00 |
| Salmon | 27 | 1.00 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 27 | 1.00 |
| Yogurt | 6 | .95 |
| Cow’s Milk | 3.5 | 1.00 |
| Soybeans | 17 | .91 |
| Peas | 8 | .50 |
| Whey Isolate | 80 | 1.00 |
| Tofu | 16 | .93 |
| Egg | 12 | .93 |
| Rice | 7 | .47 |
| Soy Milk | 6 | .94 |