The Ultimate Visual Guide to Protein: How Much You Should Eat Every Day

Protein is an essential part of our diet. It is a crucial element in the proper functioning of our body. Protein helps regulate hormones, transport molecules, act as an enzyme for chemical reactions and much more.

Everyone has different dietary needs, but for the average person, 100 grams of protein per day is ideal. Keep in mind that if you are active, you may need more protein in your diet.

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This visual guide shows what 100 grams of protein looks like, whether you’re following a vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore diet. Use it to put your daily protein needs into perspective.

Grams were calculated by taking the information on the nutrition label of packaged items and weighing them if necessary. The gram amounts shown in this guide are specific to the products used for this experiment, so your numbers may vary if you look at another brand of bread or yogurt.

100 grams of protein for omnivores

a food spread containing yogurt, mixed nuts, sausage, ham, eggs, bread, cheese, oats and tuna representing 100 grams of protein

Amanda Capritto/CNET

If you have no dietary restrictions, eating 100 grams of protein per day should be pretty simple. Here’s one way to do it:

  • Greek yogurt (15 grams of protein)
  • Beef sausage (14 grams)
  • 1 ounce mixed nuts (5 grams)
  • Two eggs (12 grams)
  • Snack cheese (5 grams)
  • Four slices (2 ounces) deli ham (10 grams)
  • Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
  • ½ cup oatmeal (5 grams)
  • A can of tuna (27 grams)

Everything pictured above weighs 103 grams, putting you slightly over the 100 gram goal.

100 grams of animal protein

A food spread containing turkey, ham, eggs, tuna and beef accounting for 100 grams of protein

Amanda Capritto/CNET

As you can see, getting 100 grams of protein from animal products doesn’t take much. This photo illustrates:

  • Four eggs (24 grams of protein)
  • Three beef meatballs (15 grams)
  • Two slices (2 ounces) turkey bacon (10 grams)
  • 3 ounces turkey breast (24 grams)
  • A can of tuna (27 grams)

This equates to a perfect number of 100. If you ate all of this in one day, plus bread and other non-animal products, you would easily exceed 100 grams of protein per day.

100 grams of protein for vegetarians

a food spread containing granola, protein powder, hemp seeds, peanut butter, cheese, nuts, eggs, oats and yogurt accounting for 100 grams of protein

Amanda Capritto/CNET

For vegetarians, 100 grams of protein might look like:

  • Four eggs (24 grams of protein)
  • ½ cup oatmeal (5 grams)
  • Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
  • A tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
  • ÂĽ cup protein granola (10 grams)
  • A measure of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
  • Two snack cheeses (10 grams)
  • A single-serving Greek yogurt (15 grams)

This actually equates to 99 grams of protein, which is pretty close and still a significant number to consume for a day.

100 grams of vegan protein

a range of foods containing granola, protein powder, hemp seeds, peanut butter, chia seeds, bread, oats and a granola bar representing protein options for vegans

Amanda Capritto/CNET

What you see is not quite what you get with this photo. In the photo you see:

  • ÂĽ cup protein granola (10 grams of protein)
  • A measure of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
  • 1 ounce of walnuts (5 grams)
  • Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
  • Two tablespoons of chia seeds (about 10 grams)
  • A tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
  • Two slices of rye bread (10 grams)
  • A protein granola bar (8 grams)
  • ½ cup oatmeal (5 grams)

This equals 79 grams of protein. If we double the mixture of nuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds, that brings us to 93 grams of protein. You can add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or eat a full cup of oatmeal, instead of half a cup, to get closer to that 100-gram goal.

Additionally, this plate does not contain any high-protein vegan meat substitutes, such as tofu, tempeh, or plant-based meats like Impossible burger. These food sources can make it much easier to get 100 grams of protein than someone eating one vegan diet.

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