Overview

Your body needs protein to help build and repair muscle, skin, and other body tissues. Getting enough protein also helps your body fight infection, balance body fluids, and carry oxygen through your body.

When you have a wound that's healing, think of food as medicine. Eat a balanced diet with enough calories and plenty of protein.

How much protein you normally need each day depends on your age, your sex, and how active you are. You may need to eat more protein to help a wound heal. Your doctor can advise you on the right amount of protein you need.

Examples of high-protein foods

High-protein foods include lean meat, poultry, and fish. You can also get plenty of protein from eggs, dairy and soy products, beans, nuts, and seeds.

The following tables list the amount of protein per serving size for a given food group.^{footnote 1}

Meats, fish, and poultry (cooked)

Food	Amount	Protein (g)
Beef, ground	1 oz	7
Chicken breast	1 oz	8
Pork chop	1 oz	8
Salmon	1 oz	7
Tilapia	1 oz	7
Tuna, canned, drained	1 oz	5
Turkey	1 oz	8

Eggs and dairy

Food	Amount	Protein (g)
Cheese, cheddar	1 oz	7
Cottage cheese, low fat	½ cup	13
Egg, whole, cooked	1 large	6
Milk	1 cup	8
Yogurt, fruit, low-fat	6 oz container	8

Beans and soy products

Food	Amount	Protein (g)
Baked beans	1 cup	12
Black beans	1 cup	16
Refried beans	1 cup	13
Soy milk	1 cup	6
Tofu	1 cup, cubed	18

Nuts and seeds

Food	Amount	Protein (g)
Almonds	½ cup	15
Peanuts, roasted	½ cup	21
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	7
Sunflower seeds, shelled	½ cup	14
Wheat germ	2 Tbsp	4