Food rankings
High-protein fermented foods
The 9 fermented dairy foods in our database (yogurts, skyr, kefir, and three cheeses made with starter cultures), ranked from most to least protein per 100 g and per 100 calories. If you came looking for "probiotic foods," one clarification first: the European Union has not authorized any health claim for probiotics, and this list does not promise that effect.
- Prepared by
- Alex Gonzalez
- Last updated
- Sources
- 6 primary
- Data
- USDA FoodData Central
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How this list is built
A fermented food is one "made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components," in the words of the 2021 consensus of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). The list includes the yogurts, skyr, kefir, and three cheeses made with starter cultures: cheddar and parmesan, which are also aged, and soft goat cheese. The main table ranks by grams of protein per 100 g; when two tie, protein per 100 calories decides.
Cheeses that can be set without fermentation, with rennet alone or with added acid, are left out because the food page does not say how they were made: queso fresco, mozzarella, asadero, and cottage cheese (the US standard for cottage cheese allows both methods). If the ingredient list of one of them names cultures, it is a fermented food too. Ricotta is also out, because it is made by heating whey or milk with an acid. Bread fits the definition, but baking kills the microbes in the dough, and it compares better with other grains. Green olives in brine are usually fermented, and the cocoa in chocolate is fermented before roasting, but neither is eaten for protein, and they compare better with fats and sweets. We do not have pages for sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, or tempeh yet.
Probiotics are, in the FAO/WHO definition endorsed by the 2014 ISAPP consensus, "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." The European Commission treats the word itself as a health claim, and it has rejected every application for a probiotic health claim because EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority, did not find the effect demonstrated. A December 2024 decision of the European Ombudsman sets this out.
The only authorized EU claim about live bacteria is a different one: "Live cultures in yoghurt or fermented milk improve lactose digestion of the product in individuals who have difficulty digesting lactose" (Regulation (EU) 432/2012). Only yogurt or fermented milk with at least 10⁸ colony-forming units of live Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus per gram may use it.
Values come from USDA FoodData Central (each food page cites the exact entry) and are per 100 g of the food as described; for drinks, per 100 ml. The typical serving is a common amount for calculations, not a recommendation. The 1 to 5 satiety score is our own estimate from energy density, protein, fiber, and water: it compares foods with each other and is not a measurement in people.
The 9 fermented foods with the most protein per 100 g
9 fermented dairy foods ranked by protein per 100 g, highest first.
- ParmesanProtein: 35.8g/100 g
- CheddarProtein: 22.9g/100 g
- Soft goat cheeseProtein: 18.5g/100 g
- SkyrProtein: 11.3g/100 g
- Nonfat Greek yogurtProtein: 10.2g/100 g
- Plain Greek yogurtProtein: 9g/100 g
- Nonfat yogurtProtein: 5.7g/100 g
- Low-fat kefirProtein: 3.8g/100 g
- Plain yogurtProtein: 3.5g/100 g
Most protein per 100 calories
9 fermented dairy foods ranked by protein per 100 calories.
- SkyrProtein per calorie: 18.8g/100 kcal
- Nonfat Greek yogurtProtein per calorie: 17.3g/100 kcal
- Nonfat yogurtProtein per calorie: 10.2g/100 kcal
- Plain Greek yogurtProtein per calorie: 9.3g/100 kcal
- ParmesanProtein per calorie: 9.1g/100 kcal
- Low-fat kefirProtein per calorie: 8.8g/100 kcal
- Soft goat cheeseProtein per calorie: 7g/100 kcal
- Plain yogurtProtein per calorie: 5.7g/100 kcal
- CheddarProtein per calorie: 5.7g/100 kcal
How to use this list
On a GLP-1 medication appetite drops, and the usual advice is to eat the protein part of each meal first, because protein helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss. Strained nonfat yogurts such as skyr or nonfat Greek yogurt provide a lot of protein per calorie. Aged cheeses pack more protein per 100 g, but also more fat and calories, and are eaten in small servings.
Yogurt, skyr, and kefir are cold and smooth, easy to take in small amounts, and carry the "Easy to digest" tag on their food pages. Aged cheeses are fattier, and on a GLP-1 medication fatty meals can make nausea worse because the stomach empties more slowly: small servings, grated or in little pieces, usually sit better.
If lactose is hard for you to digest, the only effect the EU recognizes is that of the live cultures in yogurt or fermented milk on the lactose in that same product. None of these foods is a treatment: if digestive symptoms do not go away, talk to your doctor.
For how this fits into everyday eating, read What to Eat on GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound): A Phase-by-Phase Guide and 12 High-Protein Breakfasts for Days When You Have No Appetite.
Related tool
To work out how much protein you need per day and per meal, use the daily protein calculator.
Other food rankings
Protein
- High-protein foods
- High-protein plant foods
- High-protein fruits
- High-protein vegetables
- High-protein legumes
- High-protein nuts and seeds
Fiber
Calories and macros
- Most filling foods per calorie
- Low-calorie foods
- High-carb foods
- Low-carb foods
- Low-fat foods
- Low-sugar foods
Micronutrients and fats
- Iron-rich foods
- Potassium-rich foods
- Magnesium-rich foods
- Calcium-rich foods
- Vitamin B12 foods
- Omega-3 foods
- Healthy fat foods
Tolerance and snacks
You can also browse the table of all foods or the side-by-side food comparisons.
Sources
Databases and studies behind the data in this list, with the access date.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central.accessed .
- Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, annex (live yoghurt cultures).accessed .
- European Ombudsman.European Ombudsman. Decision on how the European Commission deals with the labelling of foodstuff that contain probiotics as 'health claims' (case 2273/2023/MIK), 20 December 2024.accessed .
- Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.Marco ML, et al. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on fermented foods. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021;18(3):196-208. doi:10.1038/s41575-020-00390-5.accessed .
- Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.Hill C, et al. The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014;11(8):506-514. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2014.66.accessed .
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR).21 CFR 133.129: Dry curd cottage cheese (standard of identity).accessed .