Finding the protein on a food label

Protein isn't on the traffic-light panel on the front of the pack. It's on the back, in the nutrition table.

Protein · By the Appetite Journal team · 1 min read · Friday 25 September 2026

If you've been given a protein figure to aim for, the first surprise is that most packs don't show it on the front. The coloured traffic-light panel on UK packaging covers energy, fat, saturates, sugars and salt. Protein sits in the nutrition table on the back or the side.

Per 100 g or per portion

The table always gives a per 100 g column, and it usually adds a per portion column as well. The portion is whatever size the manufacturer picked, and it isn't always the amount you'll eat. A yoghurt pot is easy because the pot is the portion. A bag of granola is harder, since the listed portion might be 40 g and the bowl you pour might be twice that.

When you're comparing two products on the shelf, use the per 100 g column. It's the only one that's measured the same way on both packs.

Weigh it once

Kitchen scales settle the portion question quickly. Weigh your usual bowl of cereal or your usual slice of cheese once, write the number on a sticky note inside a cupboard door, and you won't need to do it again.

Where the protein tends to be

Plain Greek-style yoghurt, skyr, cottage cheese, eggs, tinned fish, lentils and chicken all show a decent protein line for their size. Two yoghurts that look alike can be quite different, so it's worth turning the pots round in the chiller. If you're unsure how much protein your own plan needs, ask the clinician or dietitian who set it.