Protein is an essential part of a runner's diet. To find out how much protein you need daily, see our Protein for Endurance Runners feature.

The more you train, it's essential you get the right nutrients to refuel and power your body, so for the complete picture, see our Nutrition Guide for Runners.

Below is a table of food types by weight and the amount of protein and fat you will get from each.

Protein Content of Selected Food

Food Protein Total Fat
(g per average portion) (g per average portion)
Chicken breast portion without skin, 100g 28 2.9
Lean roast beef, 100g 28 5
Cod, 100g 20 1.2
Salmon fillet, 100g 20 11
Soya bean, 50g dry weight 18 9.3
Peeled prawns, 75g 17 0.6
Half-fat cheddar, 50g 16 7.5
Eggs (2 medium) 14.2 12.2
Cottage cheese, 100g 14 4
Full-fat cheddar, 28g 13 17
Black-eye beans, 50g dry weight 11 0.7
Lentils, 50g dry weight 12 0.9
Red kidney beans, 50g dry weight 11 0.7
Stilton, 50g 11 18
Peanut butter, 2 tbs 9 n/a
Cashews, 50g 8.9 24*
Baked potato, 223g cooked weight 8.7 0.5
Tofu, 100g 8 4.2
Whole milk or yoghurt, 1 cup 8 n/a
Cottage cheese, 1/4 cup 8 n/a
Natural fromage frais, 0% fat, 100g 7.7 0.2
Meat, cheese, 28g 7 n/a
Cooked legumes, 1/2 cup 7 n/a
Wholemeal pasta,, 50g dry weight 6.7 1.3
White pasta, 50g dry weight 6 3.8
Soya milk, 200ml 6 3.8
Skimmed milk, 200ml 6.6 0.2
Seeds, 25g/1oz 6 n/a
Cooked brown rice, 225g/8oz (75g/3oz dry) 6 n/a
Wholemeal bread, 60g (2 average slices) 5.5 1.5
Couscous, 50g dry weight 5.3 1.0
Natural low-fat yoghurt, 100g 5 0.8
Grated parmesan cheese, 2 tbs 4 n/a
Sweetcorn, 150g/5oz 4 n/a
Bagel (1/2), cereal (1/2 cup), potatoes (1/2 cup), Pasta (1/2 cup) 3 n/a
Vegetables, 1/2 cup 2 n/a
Fruits e.g. apple, banana, orange 1 n/a



Selected Sources of Animal and Plant Protein

The following food contain approximately 20g protein:

Food
Lentils (cooked), 265g 265g
Tuna canned, 1 small tin 100g
Sunflower seeds, 1 cup 188g
Almonds, 1 cup 110g
Eggs, 3 medium
Cottage cheese, 1 small pot 150g
Lamb chop, 1 small 110g
Chicken, 1 small breast roasted 75g
Baked beans, 1 large tin 400g
Peas, 2 cups frozen 250g
Natural yoghurt, 3 small pots 450g
Tofu, 1 packet 165g


Serving of Concentrated Protein for One Meal:

  • 3 eggs (20g protein)
  • 4oz canned tuna (22g protein)
  • 5-6oz cottage cheese (20g protein)
  • 11/2 cups of beans (20g protein)
  • 3-4oz of meat, fish or poultry or approximately size of palm of hand (20g protein)