Protein

Every protein entry in the Typed food library. Each one is a full page: what it does, stage by stage, and what the evidence says.

• AbaloneA shellfish loaded with vitamin B12 and iodine, two nutrients that are genuinely hard to get enough of.
• AnchoviesAnchovies are small, salty fish that pack a surprising amount of protein, calcium, and heart-healthy fat into just a few bites.
• BaconProcessed meat: the salt and the curing agents are the issue, not the fat.
• Banana PrawnA very lean seafood that’s mostly protein, with barely any fat.
• BarramundiA mild-tasting fish that is not just filler — it carries a real dose of omega-3, more than most white fish manage.
• BassaLean, mild and inexpensive — a white fish that gives you protein rather than omega-3.
• Beef (Lean)Its iron absorbs well on its own — no vitamin C pairing needed.
• Beef LiverA small serving of beef liver packs more vitamin A, B12, iron, and copper than almost any other food -- so a little goes a long way.
• Beef Mince (Regular Fat)The fat percentage on the label is raw. What you eat depends on how you cook it.
• Beef SausageLeaner than pork and saltier. Three micrograms of B12 is the genuine upside.
• BisonBison is a lean red meat that's packed with iron and vitamin B12, but its low fat means you have to cook it gently or it turns tough and dry.
• Blue GrenadierLean white fish, and baking or steaming it changes almost nothing except how much water is left in.
• Braised Steak OnionsMost of what is in the tin is sauce and onion, so there is less meat in it than the name suggests.
• BreamA common Australian fish that’s genuinely rich in omega-3.
• Buffalo (Cube Roll)A red meat cousin to beef that is usually leaner, with a similar dose of iron, zinc and protein.
• Calamari (Squid)Squid is a lean, mineral-packed seafood — just don't let deep-frying turn it into junk food.
• CamelRed meat, but leaner than beef — which changes how you have to cook it.
• Canned Tuna (in Brine)Twenty-six grams of protein, 752 mg of omega-3, and a mercury question worth answering properly.
• CatfishCatfish is a mild, budget-friendly fish loaded with protein and B12 — and being a "bottom feeder" doesn't make it dirty.
• ChestnutRoasted chestnuts taste more like a starchy vegetable than a typical nut — because that’s basically what they are, nutrition-wise.
• ChickenNearly all the fat in chicken sits in the skin, not the meat.
• Chicken BreastThe lean protein most diets are built around by default.
• Chicken LiverOne small serving of chicken liver packs more vitamin A, B12, and iron than a whole day's worth of most other foods — which is exactly why it's a once-in-a-while food, not an everyday one.
• Chicken Luncheon MeatTwenty grams of protein on 1.2 g of fat — and still processed meat.
• Chicken PieceCoated fried chicken is mostly ordinary chicken plus batter, oil and salt.
• Chicken ThighChicken thigh gives you protein plus iron and zinc, all from real food you can actually taste.
• Chicken WingsThe skin doubles the fat and adds nothing else. That is the whole decision.
• ChorizoThe paprika is the point, and 868 mg of sodium comes with it.
• ClamsClams pack more vitamin B12 into a few bites than almost any other food on Earth, plus a big dose of iron.
• CodA lean white fish giving a lot of protein for very little fat.
• Cod or HakeThe fish is lean and mild. The smoking is what adds the salt.
• Corned Beef (Canned)Genuinely good protein and B12, wrapped in 750 mg of sodium.
• CrabCrab is a lean seafood that packs a big dose of vitamin B12 and zinc into very few calories.
• CrawfishCrawfish tail meat is a lean, low-fat way to get a big dose of protein, vitamin B12, and selenium in one bite.
• Crocodile (Back Leg)A very lean white meat — good for protein, but do not count on it for iron the way you would beef.
• Duck BreastDuck breast looks like chicken but acts more like steak — it's poultry that's unusually rich in iron.
• Egg WhitesEgg whites are almost pure protein with barely any fat or calories, but you should always cook them first.
• Egg YolkAlmost every nutrient in the egg is here — and so is all the cholesterol.
• EggsA genuinely complete protein — and a choline source most people overlook.
• ElkElk is a lean, mild-tasting red meat packed with protein and iron, with much less fat than most beef.
• Emu (Fan Fillet)A bird whose meat behaves like beef, not chicken — lean but packed with iron and B12.
• FishHow oily a fish is, and what is wrapped around it, matters far more than the word on the packet.
• Fish FingersProcessed, yes. Processed meat, no — and 756 mg of omega-3 per 100 g.
• FlatheadA very lean fish — lots of protein, very little fat.
• FrankfurtCloser to a paste set in a skin than to a piece of meat — and the salt is the number to watch.
• FrankfurterThe shape is the hazard, more than anything on the nutrition panel.
• GemfishA softer, oilier fish with more vitamin A than most fish give you.
• Goat MeatGoat meat is a lean, protein-packed red meat that gives you iron and B12 without much fat.
• Ground TurkeyGround turkey is a budget-friendly, protein-packed meat — but only a truly lean option if you check the label, since "ground turkey" can be nearly as fatty as ground beef.
• HaddockHaddock is a mild, flaky white fish that's low in fat but packed with protein and important vitamins.
• HalibutHalibut is a lean, mild white fish loaded with protein, selenium, and B12 — just don't expect salmon's omega-3 punch.
• Ham (Lean Leg)Genuinely lean — and still processed meat, with the salt to match.
• HerringHerring is a small, oily fish packed with vitamin D and healthy fats — it's one of the easiest ways to get vitamin D from food instead of sunlight or pills.
• Hoki (Blue Grenadier)A very low-calorie white fish that quietly delivers one of the better selenium doses around.
• Hot DogA processed sausage in a white roll. The salt is the number worth knowing.
• Kangaroo (Loin Fillet)A very lean red meat — high in protein and iron, with far less fat than most beef.
• King George WhitingA delicate white fish that’s nearly all lean protein.
• LambLamb is packed with protein, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 — nutrients your body absorbs unusually well from meat.
• LobsterLobster is a lean, low-fat way to get a whole day's worth of selenium and vitamin B12 in one meal.
• Lobster or CrayfishVery lean, very high in protein — until the melted butter arrives.
• MackerelA smaller, cheaper fish that often beats salmon on omega-3 per serving.
• Mahi MahiMahi-mahi is a lean, protein-packed fish that's easy on fat but needs careful handling to stay safe to eat.
• Marmite (New Zealand)A thin scrape packs in more iron and B12 than most condiments ever will.
• Meat AlternativeWhat these are made from matters more than the fact they replace meat.
• Meatball or RissoleTwo entries, raw and cooked, but the useful fact is what sits alongside the beef: breadcrumb, fat and a great deal of salt.
• MilkfishA moderately oily fish, and the raw, grilled and steamed versions differ mainly by water lost in cooking.
• MorwongAn everyday Australian fish that’s a genuine source of iodine, a nutrient most foods barely contain.
• MulletRaw, baked and steamed are the same fish. Cooking mainly removes water, which makes every number look bigger.
• MullowayWhite fish, but not the omega-3-free kind people assume white fish to be.
• MusselsMussels are small, but they pack in vitamin B12, iron, and selenium -- nutrients many people don't get enough of.
• MuttonAlmost everything that separates one mutton cut from another is fat, not meat.
• NutAlmost all of them are high in fat — but chestnuts are starchy, and peanuts are not really nuts at all.
• OctopusOctopus is a lean, protein-packed seafood loaded with vitamin B12 and minerals — despite its odd reputation, it's easy on saturated fat.
• OstrichOstrich is technically a bird, but it eats, cooks, and nourishes you like a lean cut of beef.
• OystersOysters pack more zinc than almost any other food, making them a real immune and wound-healing powerhouse — not just a myth about romance.
• Pea ProteinPea protein gives your muscles almost everything they need to rebuild, straight from a humble split pea.
• PieThe filling gets the name, but the pastry sets most of the numbers.
• PigeonDark poultry meat wrapped in a lot of fat — take the skin off and the numbers change completely.
• PorkWhich cut you buy changes the fat far more than how you cook it.
• Pork BellyThirty-one grams of fat, and more thiamin than almost anything else you will eat.
• Pork SausageNineteen grams of fat, 763 mg of sodium, and a Group 1 classification.
• Pork TenderloinPork tenderloin is a lean, high-protein meat that's also packed with a B-vitamin most other meats barely have.
• PrawnNearly all protein and water, with barely any fat — whichever prawn you buy.
• ProsciuttoThe leanest thing on this counter and the saltiest — 1,700 mg per 100 g.
• Protein PowderWhey is protein taken out of milk; hemp powder is ground seed with most of the oil removed. The label word to read is the source.
• QuailA small bird that is basically all dark meat — richer and fattier than chicken breast, gram for gram.
• Quail EggsQuail eggs are basically tiny, extra-rich chicken eggs — good protein and choline, but not a magic health food.
• RabbitRabbit meat gives you a lot of protein for very few calories, but eating only rabbit without any fat can actually make you sick.
• Rabbit (Farmed, Whole)A very lean white meat — high in protein, but famously too lean to eat as your only food.
• Red SnapperRed snapper is a lean, mild white fish that gives your body high-quality protein plus a big boost of selenium and vitamin B12.
• SalamiThirty-seven per cent fat and 1,495 mg of sodium — but nobody eats 100 g of it.
• SalmonOne of the few foods that really is packed with omega-3.
• SardineThe calcium is in the bones, so whether you eat them whole is the whole story.
• SardinesOne of the few foods where you eat the bones — and that is where the calcium is.
• SausageThe meat in a sausage matters less than the fat and salt packed in with it.
• Sausages VegetablesRead the name in the other order: this is a vegetable stew with some sausage in it.
• ScallopsScallops are a lean, quick-cooking seafood that packs a lot of protein and vitamin B12 into very few calories.
• Sea BassSea bass is a lean, mild fish packed with protein, selenium, and vitamin B12 — just don't eat it every single day.
• SeitanSeitan is basically wheat's protein, isolated and cooked into a chewy, meat-like food - high in protein, but it's missing enough of one building block to be a "complete" protein on its own.
• SharkPlain shark fillet is about as lean as protein gets. The batter is where the calories come from.
• ShrimpHigh in cholesterol on paper, with far less effect on your blood than once believed.
• Silver PerchA mild, easy fish that gives you vitamin D and omega-3 in one go.
• Smoked SalmonThe omega-3 and vitamin D of salmon, plus 1,015 mg of sodium.
• SnapperA lean, popular Australian fish with a bit more calcium and potassium than most fish give you.
• Southern Rock LobsterA very lean seafood — almost all protein, with barely any fat of its own.
• SpamCured, canned pork. It keeps for years because of the salt and the nitrite, and both of those are the nutritional story.
• SpratA small fish you eat whole. The bones are the point.
• Squab (Pigeon)A whole small bird, skin included — richer and fattier than most poultry, but still a decent source of iron and zinc.
• Squid or CalamariVery lean protein. Cook it for under two minutes or for over half an hour — the middle is where it turns to rubber.
• SwordfishSwordfish gives you a lot of protein and vitamin D in one meal -- but it's also on the short list of fish doctors say to skip if you're pregnant or feeding young kids.
• TempehTempeh is fermented soybeans pressed into a firm, nutty cake -- fermentation makes its protein and minerals easier for your body to use than plain soybeans.
• Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)TVP is dried soy chunks that turn hearty and meaty once you soak them — cheap, high in protein, and not the "hormone bomb" people worry about.
• TilapiaTilapia is basically pure lean protein, great for muscles, but don't expect the omega-3 boost you get from salmon.
• TofuA plant protein whose calcium content depends entirely on how it was made.
• TroutTrout is a mild, easy-to-cook fish loaded with protein, vitamin D, and heart-friendly fats.
• TunaOne of the most concentrated omega-3 sources, with a real mercury caveat.
• TurkeyThe sleepiness reputation is really about how much you ate, not the turkey.
• VealVery lean meat from a young animal. It cooks fast and dries out fast.
• VegemiteA little goes a long way, both for the B vitamins and the salt.
• Vegetarian Sausage (Fortified)Same shape, no nitrite, an eighth of the saturated fat — and the B12 was put back.
• VenisonVenison is a super-lean red meat — big on protein and iron, low on fat — but hunters really do need to get wild deer tested for a brain disease that cooking can't destroy.
• Whey Protein PowderEighty-five per cent protein, and the most-studied protein supplement there is.
• Yellow-Eye MulletAn overlooked fish that’s unusually rich in B12 and selenium.
• Yellowtail KingfishA farmed Australian fish that’s genuinely rich in omega-3 and vitamin D.

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