A single gram of protein contains 4 calories. To figure out how many protein calories a food contains, simply multiply the grams-of-protein-per-serving info by 4. Of course, you can always eat more protein if you want, up to 35 percent of your daily calories (which amounts to 175 g if you're eating a 2,000-calorie diet).
Because a lot of protein-containing foods are fresh (think raw meat), they don't require a food label. That's nice for manufacturers but challenging for you when you're trying to keep track of your protein intake. Let the table be your guide to how many grams of protein are in some common foods.
| Food | Amount of Protein |
| 3 ounces lean cooked meat (poultry, pork, beef, and fish) | About 21 g (7 g/ounce) |
| 6 ounces Greek yogurt | 12–16 g |
| 3 ounces firm tofu | 9 g |
| 1 cup lowfat milk | 8 g |
| 2 tablespoons peanut butter | 8 g |
| 1/2 cup black beans | 7 g |
| 6 ounces lowfat yogurt | 5–7 g |
| 1 large egg | 6 g |
| 1 ounce (or about 23) almonds | 6 g |
| Most grain products (for example, a slice of bread, 1 ounce of cereal, or 2 ounces of dry pasta) | 1–4 g per serving |