Last updated: October 11, 2026. Information checked at the time of writing.
Short answer: in Health Canada’s 2026 Canadian Nutrient File, the richest common food is “Cheese, parmesan, hard”, at 35.8 g per 100 g. The table ranks 30 foods by amount per 100 g and shows the amount in a typical serving.
The ranking
| Rank | Food (CNF) | Serving | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cheese, parmesan, hard | 50 g | 17.9 g | 35.8 g |
| 2 | Beef, chuck, blade roast, boneless, lean, cooked, braised | 75 g | 26.3 g | 35.1 g |
| 3 | Beef, loin, tenderloin, steak, lean, cooked, broiled | 75 g | 24.6 g | 32.7 g |
| 4 | Turkey, all classes, breast, meat only, roasted | 75 g | 23.8 g | 31.8 g |
| 5 | Seeds, hemp seeds, hulled | 60 ml | 12.8 g | 31.6 g |
| 6 | Chicken, broiler, breast, meat, roasted | 75 g | 23.3 g | 31.0 g |
| 7 | Chicken, broiler, gizzard, simmered | 75 g | 22.8 g | 30.4 g |
| 8 | Fish, tuna, bluefin, fresh, baked or broiled | 75 g | 22.4 g | 29.9 g |
| 9 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted | 60 ml | 17.2 g | 29.8 g |
| 10 | Mollusks, octopus, common, boiled or steamed | 75 g | 22.4 g | 29.8 g |
| 11 | Lamb, Canadian, leg, whole, lean, cooked | 75 g | 22.3 g | 29.8 g |
| 12 | Beef, rib, rib eye steak, boneless, lean, cooked, broiled | 75 g | 22.2 g | 29.6 g |
| 13 | Turkey, all classes, leg, meat only, roasted | 75 g | 21.9 g | 29.3 g |
| 14 | Fish, tuna, yellowfin, baked or broiled | 75 g | 21.9 g | 29.1 g |
| 15 | Beef, loin, top sirloin steak, boneless, lean, cooked, broiled | 75 g | 21.8 g | 29.0 g |
| 16 | Beef, ground, lean, crumbled, pan-fried | 75 g | 21.8 g | 29.0 g |
| 17 | Fish, anchovy, european, canned with olive oil, drained solids | 15 g | 4.33 g | 28.9 g |
| 18 | Peanuts, all types, dry roasted | 60 ml | 9.02 g | 24.4 g |
| 19 | Peanut butter, smooth type, fat and sugar added | 30 ml | 7.27 g | 22.2 g |
| 20 | Nuts, almonds, dried, unblanched, unroasted | 60 ml whole | 7.62 g | 21.1 g |
| 21 | Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted | 60 ml | 6.57 g | 21.1 g |
| 22 | Soybean, fermented products, Tempeh (tempe), cooked | 1 serving | 29.9 g | 19.9 g |
| 23 | Soybean, fermented products, natto | 175 ml | 25.1 g | 19.4 g |
| 24 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted | 60 ml | 6.27 g | 19.3 g |
| 25 | Seeds, flaxseed (linseed), whole and ground | 60 ml whole | 7.79 g | 18.3 g |
| 26 | Soybeans, mature seeds, dry, boiled | 175 ml | 23.2 g | 18.2 g |
| 27 | Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, roasted and toasted kernels | 30 ml | 5.17 g | 17.0 g |
| 28 | Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, roasted and toasted | 60 ml | 6.45 g | 17.0 g |
| 29 | Seeds, chia seeds, dried | 60 ml | 7.15 g | 16.5 g |
| 30 | Nuts, cashew nuts, dry roasted | 60 ml whole or halves | 5.32 g | 15.3 g |
Source: Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition). Amounts per 100 g and per serving as listed by the CNF; servings use CNF measures such as one Canada’s Food Guide serving of meat (75 g).
What to know
- Per 100 g, aged cheese, lean beef and poultry lead; per serving, a 150 g portion of tempeh is the top plant food.
- Protein quality differs: animal proteins are complete, and most plant proteins are best combined.
See also: the beef liver guide, the organ meats guide and the best beef liver supplements in Canada.
FAQ
What food has the most protein per 100 g?
In this ranking, Parmesan cheese, braised beef chuck and beef tenderloin lead per 100 g in the Canadian Nutrient File 2026.
What plant food has the most protein?
Per 100 g, hemp seeds lead among plant foods; per serving, tempeh.
Is egg white a good protein source?
Yes. Egg white protein is complete and fat-free; egg white powder gives about 25 g of protein per serving.
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Written by the team at Rise Nutrition, Toronto, Canada’s single-ingredient ancestral nutrition brand. Questions: ray@risenutritions.ca
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