Protein Foods Group — What Counts & Ounce Equivalents (MyPlate)
What foods are in the protein group — seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and soy. What counts as a 1-ounce-equivalent, and how many you need a day (5–6½) by calorie level, per the USDA Dietary Guidelines 2020–2025.
What foods are in the protein foods group?
The protein foods group is broad: seafood; lean meats and poultry; eggs; beans, peas, and lentils; nuts and seeds; and soy foods like tofu and tempeh. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 recommends varying your choices, leaning on seafood and plant proteins. Protein is measured in ounce-equivalents: 1 ounce of cooked meat, poultry, or seafood; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon of peanut butter; ¼ cup of cooked beans; or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds each count as one. Most adults need 5 to 6½ ounce-equivalents a day.
- 5–6½ oz-eq — protein foods a day for most adults
- ~8 oz-eq — seafood a week at 2,000 calories
- ¼ cup — cooked beans = 1 ounce-equivalent
What counts as protein foods
The protein group spans animal and plant foods. The guidelines encourage variety — especially seafood and plant proteins — rather than relying on red meat.
Lean meats & poultry
Chicken, turkey, lean beef, pork, lamb, and bison. Choose lean or low-fat cuts and trim visible fat.
Seafood
Salmon, tuna, shrimp, cod, tilapia, sardines, crab, and trout. Aim for about 8 ounce-equivalents a week for its omega-3 fats.
Eggs
Chicken eggs — one egg counts as 1 ounce-equivalent.
Beans, peas & lentils
Kidney, black, and pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas, and edamame. These also count in the vegetable group.
Nuts & seeds
Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and nut and seed butters. Choose unsalted where you can.
Soy products
Tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy burgers.
What counts as 1 ounce-equivalent of protein foods?
| Food | Amount that counts as 1 oz-eq |
|---|---|
| Cooked meat, poultry, or seafood | 1 ounce |
| Egg | 1 whole egg |
| Nuts | 1/2 ounce (about 12 almonds) |
| Nut butter | 1 tablespoon |
| Cooked beans or peas | 1/4 cup (Also counts toward vegetable group) |
| Tofu | 1 ounce (about 1/4" slice of a block) |
Daily protein foods by calorie level
Daily targets from the USDA Healthy US-Style Pattern across all 12 calorie levels — the MyPlate Plan calculator finds your level in under a minute.
| Calorie level | Daily protein foods (ounce-equivalents) |
|---|---|
| 1,000 cal | 2 |
| 1,200 cal | 3 |
| 1,400 cal | 4 |
| 1,600 cal | 5 |
| 1,800 cal | 5 |
| 2,000 cal | 5.5 |
| 2,200 cal | 6 |
| 2,400 cal | 6.5 |
| 2,600 cal | 6.5 |
| 2,800 cal | 7 |
| 3,000 cal | 7 |
| 3,200 cal | 7 |
Weekly amounts by protein subgroup
The USDA also sets weekly protein-subgroup targets, which is how the roughly 8-ounce-a-week seafood recommendation is built in. Here are the weekly amounts by calorie level in all three published patterns — U.S.-Style, Mediterranean-Style, and Vegetarian.
Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern (Table A3-2)
| Calorie level | Meat, poultry & eggs | Seafood | Nuts, seeds & soy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 cal | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| 1,200 cal | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| 1,400 cal | 19 | 6 | 3 |
| 1,600 cal | 23 | 8 | 4 |
| 1,800 cal | 23 | 8 | 4 |
| 2,000 cal | 26 | 8 | 5 |
| 2,200 cal | 28 | 9 | 5 |
| 2,400 cal | 31 | 10 | 5 |
| 2,600 cal | 31 | 10 | 5 |
| 2,800 cal | 33 | 10 | 6 |
| 3,000 cal | 33 | 10 | 6 |
| 3,200 cal | 33 | 10 | 6 |
Protein subgroup targets are weekly. The seafood column is why the guidelines suggest about 8 ounce-equivalents of seafood a week at a 2,000-calorie level. Amounts in ounce-equivalents per week.
Healthy Mediterranean-Style Pattern (Table A3-5)
| Calorie level | Meat, poultry & eggs | Seafood | Nuts, seeds & soy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 cal | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| 1,200 cal | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| 1,400 cal | 19 | 6 | 3 |
| 1,600 cal | 23 | 11 | 4 |
| 1,800 cal | 23 | 15 | 4 |
| 2,000 cal | 26 | 15 | 5 |
| 2,200 cal | 28 | 16 | 5 |
| 2,400 cal | 31 | 16 | 5 |
| 2,600 cal | 31 | 17 | 5 |
| 2,800 cal | 33 | 17 | 6 |
| 3,000 cal | 33 | 17 | 6 |
| 3,200 cal | 33 | 17 | 6 |
The Mediterranean pattern's signature is its seafood column — 15 ounce-equivalents a week at the 2,000-calorie level, nearly double the U.S.-Style amount, with meats and nuts left unchanged. Amounts in ounce-equivalents per week.
Healthy Vegetarian Pattern (Table A3-4)
| Calorie level | Eggs (oz-eq) | Beans, peas & lentils (cups) | Soy products (oz-eq) | Nuts & seeds (oz-eq) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 cal | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1,200 cal | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 1,400 cal | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 1,600 cal | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| 1,800 cal | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| 2,000 cal | 3 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| 2,200 cal | 3 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| 2,400 cal | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| 2,600 cal | 3 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| 2,800 cal | 4 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| 3,000 cal | 4 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| 3,200 cal | 4 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
The vegetarian pattern spends most of its weekly protein on beans and soy. Beans, peas, and lentils are published in cups and shared with the vegetable group — the value shown is the vegetable-group amount plus the protein-foods amount (in oz-eq) divided by four. Amounts in ounce-equivalents per week — cups for beans, peas, and lentils.
How many ounces of protein do I need a day?
Most adults need 5 to 6½ ounce-equivalents of protein foods a day. The daily-amounts table above shows the target for each USDA calorie level — 2 ounce-equivalents at 1,000 calories up to 7 at the highest levels. Remember an ounce-equivalent isn't always an ounce of meat: an egg, a tablespoon of peanut butter, or ¼ cup of beans each count as one.
Ounce-equivalents answer how much food. For the target in grams, the protein calculator scales the 0.8 g/kg RDA and the 1.2–2.0 g/kg active range to your own body weight.
For your personalized target, use the free MyPlate Plan calculator.
Do beans count as protein or vegetables?
Both — beans, peas, and lentils are the one food that can count in either group.
The practical rule — Count beans as protein when they're your main protein (a lentil stew, a bean burrito), or as a vegetable when they're a side alongside meat, poultry, or fish — never the same serving twice.
How much seafood should I eat?
The guidelines recommend about 8 ounce-equivalents of seafood a week at a 2,000-calorie level — roughly two servings — for the omega-3 fatty acids that support heart and brain health. The weekly-subgroup table above shows how that seafood target scales up and down with calorie level.
What are the protein subgroups in the vegetarian pattern?
The Healthy Vegetarian Pattern splits its weekly protein four ways: eggs, beans/peas/lentils, soy products, and nuts and seeds. At 2,000 calories that's 3 ounce-equivalents of eggs, 6 cup-equivalents of beans, peas, and lentils (shared with the vegetable group), 8 ounce-equivalents of soy products, and 7 of nuts and seeds a week — most of the total goes to beans and soy rather than to meat and seafood.
It comes from Table A3-4 in Appendix 3 of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025. The methodology page shows the same table for every calorie level, and the vegan recipes collection is where to cook from it.
Eating vegan? — This pattern adapts cleanly: fortified soy beverages and soy yogurt count toward the dairy group, and the weekly eggs column can come from legumes, soy, nuts, and seeds instead — which makes it the closest fit USDA publishes, since there is no separate vegan pattern.
The other MyPlate food groups
- Fruits food group
- Vegetables food group
- Grains food group
- Dairy food group
- All five MyPlate food groups
Protein Foods food group — frequently asked questions
Are nuts and seeds part of the protein group?
Yes. Nuts, seeds, and their butters are protein foods: half an ounce of nuts or one tablespoon of nut butter counts as one ounce-equivalent. Because they're calorie-dense, choose unsalted and watch portion size.
Is tofu a protein food?
Yes. Tofu and other soy products like tempeh and edamame are in the protein group. A quarter cup of tofu counts as one ounce-equivalent, making soy a complete plant protein option.
What counts as one ounce-equivalent of protein?
One ounce of cooked meat, poultry, or seafood; one egg; one tablespoon of peanut butter; a quarter cup of cooked beans; or half an ounce of nuts or seeds each count as one ounce-equivalent.