You can’t live without protein. Your body needs protein to function properly. Protein helps regulate hormones, transport molecules, and act as enzymes in chemical reactions. Getting enough protein every day is very important.
While dietary needs vary from person to person, 100 grams of protein per day is ideal for the average person. Keep in mind that active people may need more protein in their diet.
This visual guide shows what 100 grams of protein looks like, whether you’re on a vegan, vegetarian or omnivore diet. Use it to get an idea of your daily protein needs.
Gram counts were calculated by taking the Nutrition Facts label of the packaged product and weighing where necessary. The gram counts listed in this guide are specific to the products used in this experiment, so if you look at a different brand of bread or yogurt, your numbers may vary.
100 grams of protein for omnivores
If you’re not on a restrictive diet, it’s pretty easy to get 100 grams of protein per day. Here’s one way to do it:
- Greek Yogurt (15g Protein)
- Beef sausage (14 grams)
- 1 ounce (5 grams) mixed nuts
- 2 eggs (12 grams)
- Snack cheese (5 grams)
- 4 slices (2 ounces) deli ham (10 grams)
- 2 slices of rye bread (10 grams)
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (5 grams)
- 1 can of tuna (27 grams)
All of the items pictured above together weigh in at 103 grams, just over my 100 gram goal.
100 grams of animal protein
As you can see, it doesn’t take that much to get 100 grams of protein from animal foods.
- 4 eggs (24 grams protein)
- 3 beef meatballs (15 grams)
- 2 slices (2 ounces) of turkey bacon (10 grams)
- 3 ounces (24 grams) turkey breast
- 1 can of tuna (27 grams)
That equals exactly 100. If you eat all of this in a day, plus bread and other non-animal foods, your daily protein intake can easily exceed 100 grams.
100g Vegetarian Protein
For a vegetarian, 100 grams of protein would be:
- 4 eggs (24 grams protein)
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (5 grams)
- 2 tablespoons (7 grams) of peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- ¼ cup (10 grams) protein granola
- 1 scoop (20 grams) of plant-based protein powder
- 2 snack cheeses (10 grams)
- 1 serving of Greek yogurt (15 grams)
This actually equates to 99 grams of protein, which is pretty close and still a great number to hit in a day.
100g Vegan Protein
What you see in this picture is not exactly the same as what you see in reality. In the picture you can see:
- ¼ cup protein granola (10 grams protein)
- 1 scoop (20 grams) of plant-based protein powder
- 1 ounce (5 grams) of nuts
- 2 tablespoons (7 grams) of peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (about 10 grams)
- 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
- 2 slices of rye bread (10 grams)
- Protein Granola Bar (8 grams)
- 1/2 cup oatmeal (5 grams)
That equates to 79 grams of protein. If you double the mixed nuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds, you get 93 grams of protein. To get closer to the 100-gram goal, try adding an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or eating a cup of oatmeal instead of half a cup.
The plate also does not include high-protein vegan meat alternatives such as tofu, tempeh, or plant-based meats. Impossible BurgerThese food sources provide 100 grams of protein per day. Vegan Diet.
