Your kitchen already contains many protein foods. The work is to understand their roles and create opportunities across the day.

Three protein roles

Protein anchors

Fish, chicken, goat, lean beef, eggs, dairy, tofu, and soy foods can anchor a meal.

Mixed protein foods

Beans, cowpeas, lentils, and bean dishes contribute protein, carbohydrate, and often fiber. Moi-moi and akara vary with recipe, yield, and frying, so they cannot carry one number.

Protein contributors

Egusi, groundnuts, dried crayfish, and dried fish add protein and flavor but may not anchor the meal in amounts commonly used. Egusi and groundnuts are energy-dense; crayfish can be high in sodium, and a seasoning spoon is not 100 g.

Protein foods can act as an anchor, a mixed dish, or a contributor depending on the recipe and serving. — A protein value alone does not tell you the food’s role in the meal.

Compare foods honestly

The table below uses 100 g only to make the foods comparable. It does not prescribe a serving. Values are approximate and refer to the exact cooked or dried state listed in the 2019 FAO/INFOODS West African table.

Compare protein foods honestly

Food, defined state	Protein per 100 g	Energy per 100 g	What it teaches
Chicken light meat, skin removed, grilled	29.5 g	149 kcal	Lean protein anchor
Lean goat, grilled	27.8 g	167 kcal	Cut and fat level matter
Mackerel, grilled	24.5 g	150 kcal	Protein anchor with more fat than tilapia
Catfish, grilled	24.0 g	146 kcal	Protein anchor
Tilapia, grilled	23.6 g	112 kcal	Lean protein anchor
Soybeans, boiled and drained	12.9–14.3 g	157–158 kcal	Protein, fiber, and plant food together
Chicken egg, boiled	13.5 g	about 150 kcal	Value is per 100 g, not per egg
White beans, boiled and drained	8.2 g	123 kcal	Mixed protein food with fiber and carbohydrate
Plain low-fat yogurt	3.8 g	58 kcal	Products vary; read the U.S. label
Groundnuts, dried	22.4 g	574 kcal	Protein contributor, but energy-dense
Egusi seed, dried raw	19.5–27.6 g	565–574 kcal	Protein contributor; fat and recipe matter

Data: Reviewed Chapter 5 manuscript table; FAO/INFOODS West African Food Composition Table, 2019.

Protein per weight and protein for the energy provided answer different questions. This explains why lean meat or fish can anchor protein more efficiently than much groundnut or egusi. Supporting roles do not reduce cultural value.

Create protein opportunities

You do not need to eat all your protein at dinner.

Breakfast: eggs, yogurt, soy milk, moi-moi, leftover fish, or beans.

Lunch or dinner: make fish, chicken, lean meat, beans, tofu, or eggs visible before starch fills the plate.

Low-appetite moment: yogurt, milk or fortified soy milk, an egg, tuna, sardines, or a clinician-approved nutrition drink. Check labels because products vary.

Why there is no universal gram goal here

Use a simple question instead: Did I create a meaningful protein opportunity at each main meal, and do I need another one when appetite is small?

Protein and strength belong together

Weight loss can include lean tissue as well as fat. In one small body-composition substudy of tirzepatide, about one-quarter of weight lost was lean mass in both medication and placebo groups. That result does not predict what will happen to you, and it does not prove a particular protein dose prevents loss.

Pair adequate nutrition with resistance activity appropriate for your ability. Ask your care team if pain, balance, illness, or inactivity changes what is safe. Judge function as well as scale weight: standing from a chair, carrying groceries, and climbing stairs.

Takeaway: Find the protein anchor, understand mixed foods and contributors, create opportunities across the day, and pair nourishment with strength-supporting activity. Your target should fit your body and health—not somebody else’s internet number.