Every 100 kcal of turkey breast brings 21.7 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 2nd of the 133 meats in this database and 16th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 29.5 g per 100 g ranks 30th in its group.
About 87% of the calories in turkey breast come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
Weight for weight, turkey breast has 15 g of protein for each gram of fat (29.5 g against 1.97 g per 100 g).
Set against elk, another meat entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g less protein (elk has 25.7 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving quoted here is measured by weight at 85 g, and it covers about 50% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Rich in leucine, the amino acid that most strongly triggers muscle-protein synthesis.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of turkey breast
Protein and calories in Turkey breast for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
29.5 g
136 kcal
3 oz cooked (serving used here)
85 g
25.1 g
116 kcal
1 breast
863 g
254.6 g
1174 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in turkey breast
The nine essential amino acids in Turkey breast, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
2.44 g
2.07 g
83
lysine
3.04 g
2.58 g
103
valine
1.11 g
0.94 g
38
isoleucine
1.06 g
0.9 g
36
threonine
1.28 g
1.09 g
43
phenylalanine
1.07 g
0.91 g
36
methionine
0.823 g
0.7 g
28
histidine
0.904 g
0.77 g
31
tryptophan
0.364 g
0.31 g
12
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
Related
Other meats by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Moose - 21.9 g per 100 kcal, 24.9 g per 3 oz cooked
29.5 g. The 3 oz cooked serving used on this page weighs 85 g and so carries 25.1 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of turkey breast?
21.7 g. That figure divides its 29.5 g of protein per 100 g by its 136 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in turkey breast complete?
Yes. The protein in turkey breast supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of turkey breast?
About 50%. One 3 oz cooked serving has 25.1 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #174516 (Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.