25 Best High-Protein Foods for GLP-1 Users

The best high-protein foods for GLP-1 users are the ones that deliver a lot of protein in a small, easy-to-finish package: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, chicken, fish, and protein shakes. When a medication like Ozempic or Wegovy (semaglutide) or Zepbound or Mounjaro (tirzepatide) shrinks your appetite, the goal shifts from eating more food to eating smarter food. This guide ranks 25 options by protein, calories, protein density, and how easy they go down so a small appetite still hits its target.

Why protein density matters more on a GLP-1

On a GLP-1 medication, your appetite is suppressed and you fill up fast, so total food volume is limited. That makes one number quietly important: protein density, the grams of protein per calorie. A food with high protein density gives you more muscle-protecting protein for the limited room you have.

Protein is the macronutrient that helps preserve lean mass while you lose weight. The OMA/TOS/ACLM/ASN 2025 joint advisory suggests roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day during active weight loss to help protect muscle, paired with resistance training. For exact targets by body weight, see our guide on how much protein you need on a GLP-1.

The catch is that hitting protein is genuinely hard with a small appetite. A 2025 study of GLP-1 users (Johnson et al., published in Nutrition) found that fewer than half hit even the 1.2 g/kg/day minimum. That is the problem this food list is built to solve.

A quick note on the numbers below: protein, calories, and density are approximate general references. Real values vary by brand, cut, and preparation, so use these to compare foods, not as lab-exact figures.

The 25 best high-protein foods, ranked

This table ranks 25 GLP-1-friendly foods by protein per typical serving. "Protein density" is grams of protein per 100 calories (higher is leaner). "Appetite-friendliness" is a practical judgment of how easily the food tends to go down on a low-appetite day, where soft and liquid foods usually win.

#	Food	Protein (approx, per serving)	Calories (approx)	Protein density (g/100 kcal)	Appetite-friendliness
1	Plain nonfat Greek yogurt (1 cup, ~200 g)	~20 g	~120	~17	High
2	Cottage cheese, low-fat (1 cup, ~225 g)	~24 g	~180	~13	High
3	Whey protein isolate shake (1 scoop in water)	~25 g	~120	~21	High
4	Chicken breast, skinless (4 oz, ~113 g)	~26 g	~130	~20	Medium
5	White fish, cod or tilapia (4 oz)	~23 g	~110	~21	Medium
6	Canned tuna in water (1 can, ~140 g drained)	~27 g	~120	~22	Medium
7	Salmon (4 oz)	~23 g	~180	~13	Medium
8	Shrimp (4 oz)	~24 g	~110	~22	Medium
9	Eggs (2 large)	~12 g	~140	~9	High
10	Egg whites (3, ~100 g)	~11 g	~50	~22	High
11	Ready-to-drink protein shake (1 bottle)	~30 g	~160	~19	High
12	Protein water (1 bottle)	~15 g	~80	~19	High
13	Turkey breast, deli or roasted (3 oz)	~18 g	~90	~20	Medium
14	Lean ground turkey 93% (4 oz cooked)	~22 g	~170	~13	Medium
15	Lean ground beef 93% (4 oz cooked)	~23 g	~180	~13	Medium
16	Tofu, firm (½ block, ~150 g)	~16 g	~140	~11	Medium
17	Tempeh (3 oz)	~16 g	~160	~10	Medium
18	Edamame, shelled (1 cup)	~18 g	~190	~9	Medium
19	Lentils, cooked (1 cup)	~18 g	~230	~8	Low
20	Greek yogurt drink / kefir (1 cup)	~11 g	~110	~10	High
21	String cheese / part-skim mozzarella (2 sticks)	~14 g	~160	~9	High
22	Protein bar (1 bar)	~18 g	~200	~9	High
23	Roasted edamame or chickpea snack (1 oz)	~7 g	~130	~5	High
24	Beef or turkey jerky (1 oz)	~11 g	~80	~14	High
25	Pea protein shake (1 scoop in water)	~22 g	~110	~20	High

Use this as a quick-pick menu. When appetite is low, lean toward the "High" appetite-friendliness rows near the top. When you have a hungrier window, the medium-friendliness meats and fish give you the biggest single hit. Log any of these in Myo and watch them count toward your daily protein ring, so the list becomes a checked box rather than just good intentions.

Dairy: the protein-density workhorses

Dairy earns the top of the list because it is protein-dense, soft, and easy to keep on hand.

Greek yogurt and skyr

Plain nonfat Greek yogurt delivers about 20 grams of protein per cup for roughly 120 calories, which is excellent density. Skyr (Icelandic-style yogurt) is similar. Buy plain to avoid the sugar in flavored tubs, then add berries or a little honey if you want sweetness. The spoonable texture goes down easily on rough days.

Cottage cheese

Cottage cheese has had a comeback for good reason: about 24 grams of protein per cup. Low-fat versions keep calories down. Some people prefer it blended smooth, which also makes a high-protein base for dips and sauces.

String cheese and kefir

String cheese gives you roughly 7 grams of protein per stick in a grab-and-go format that needs no prep. Kefir, a drinkable fermented milk, offers around 11 grams per cup and is gentle when solid food feels like too much.

Meat and fish: the biggest single hits

When you can manage solid food, lean meat and fish give you the largest protein totals per serving.

Chicken, turkey, and lean beef

A 4-ounce chicken breast delivers about 26 grams of protein. Lean ground turkey and 93% lean ground beef land around 22 to 23 grams per cooked 4 ounces. The tradeoff is that dense meat can feel heavy on a suppressed appetite, so smaller, well-cooked, moist portions tend to go down better than a big dry slab.

Fish and seafood

White fish like cod or tilapia is very protein-dense and light: about 23 grams of protein per 4 ounces for around 110 calories. Canned tuna is a convenient pantry staple at roughly 27 grams per can. Shrimp is lean and high in protein, and salmon adds protein plus omega-3 fats. Many people find fish easier to finish than red meat when fullness comes fast.

Eggs: cheap, soft, and flexible

Two large eggs provide about 12 grams of protein for 140 calories. They are soft, quick, and endlessly flexible, scrambled, hard-boiled for a grab-and-go snack, or baked into egg muffins.

Egg whites are one of the densest options on the list: about 11 grams of protein for just 50 calories from three whites. Carton egg whites make it easy to boost a scramble or shake without adding much else. If meat feels like too much in the morning, eggs are often the gentlest landing.

Shakes and drinks: the easiest win on low-appetite days

Liquid protein is the workhorse of the low-appetite playbook because drinking asks less of a small appetite than chewing.

Protein powder shakes

A scoop of whey protein isolate in water gives you about 25 grams of protein for roughly 120 calories, with strong density. Plant options like pea protein land in a similar range. Protein powder is less a "supplement" than a practical tool to hit protein when food feels like too much; our creatine and supplements guide covers where powders fit in a muscle-preservation stack.

Ready-to-drink shakes and protein water

Pre-made shakes deliver around 30 grams of protein per bottle with zero prep, which makes them ideal for travel or rough mornings. Protein water adds about 15 grams in a light, refreshing format when even a creamy shake feels like too much. Sipping slowly over an hour often beats trying to finish food in one sitting.

For more low-appetite tactics, including protein sequencing and timing around your dose week, see how to hit your protein goal with no appetite.

Plant proteins: doable with a little planning

Plant proteins generally have lower protein density than animal sources because they come bundled with more carbs or fat, but several are strong choices.

Tofu and tempeh offer roughly 16 grams of protein per serving and take on whatever flavor you cook them in. Edamame provides about 18 grams per cup and works as a snack or side. Lentils give around 18 grams per cooked cup, though their volume and fiber make them less appetite-friendly when you are full fast. A pea or soy protein shake is the simplest way for plant-based users to close a protein gap. Add a fiber source separately if needed, since several of these double as fiber, which Myo also tracks.

Snacks: keep grab-and-go options stocked

Low-appetite days become low-protein days when there is nothing easy within reach. Stock two or three of these:

• Jerky (beef or turkey): about 11 grams of protein per ounce, shelf-stable and portable.
• Roasted edamame or chickpea snacks: a crunchy plant option, lighter on protein but easy to nibble.
• Protein bars: roughly 18 grams per bar, convenient but variable, so read labels and favor higher protein with lower added sugar.
• Single-serve Greek yogurt or cottage cheese cups: dense protein with no prep.

How to actually hit your number

Picking good foods is half the job; the other half is making sure they add up to your daily target. A few habits help:

• Eat protein first at each meal, so you spend a small appetite on the macro that protects muscle.
• Spread protein across three or four small feedings rather than one big meal you cannot finish.
• Keep a default shake on hand for days the appetite never really shows up.
• Track it, because "I think I had enough protein" is rarely accurate on a suppressed appetite.

Myo's protein ring shows your remaining grams for the day in real time, so on a low-appetite day you know whether you need one more shake before bed: not a guess, a gap. Pairing the right foods with resistance training is what flips weight loss from muscle-wasting toward recomposition, so the protein you eat actually shows up as kept muscle.

References

• Joint advisory on nutrition and weight management (OMA, TOS, ACLM, ASN), 2025. PMC12264624. Protein target of 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg/day during active weight loss, paired with resistance training.
• Johnson et al., 2025, Nutrition (PMC12419545). Cross-sectional study of GLP-1 users finding fewer than half met the 1.2 g/kg/day protein minimum.
• International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on protein and exercise. PMC5477153. Context on protein intake ranges for exercisers.

Nutrition figures in this article are approximate general references compiled from standard food databases and product labels. Actual values vary by brand, cut, and preparation. This article is for education and tracking, not medical or dietary advice; talk with your clinician or a registered dietitian about your individual needs.