How we rank: our leaderboard methodology

Protein per 100 calories, where the numbers come from, what we leave out, and how to send a correction.

Disclosure: This article contains no affiliate links. Some other links on this site may be affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Rankings are never affected. How we make money.

Every ranking on The Protein Drop comes from one simple formula and published label data. Here's exactly how it works, what we leave out, and how to tell us when we've got something wrong.

The formula

Protein per 100 calories = grams of protein ÷ calories × 100.

That's it. A David Gold Protein Bar – Red Velvet has 28 g of protein and 150 calories: 28 ÷ 150 × 100 = 18.7. A Quest Stacks – Cinnamon Brown Sugar has 20 g and 220 calories, which works out to 9.1. Higher is better. We show the result to one decimal place, and the leaderboard is sorted by it from highest to lowest.

Why per 100 calories? Because it answers a practical question: "if I spend 100 calories on this, how much protein do I get?" It lets you compare a 60-calorie yogurt shot with a 740-calorie burger on the same scale. Right now the range on our site runs from 24.3 (StarKist Light Tuna in Water (2.6 oz pouch)) down to 4.1 (Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuit).

Where the numbers come from

Only published sources. Every number comes from the brand's website, the product's nutrition panel as shown online, or the restaurant's own nutrition page. Each product links to its source on the leaderboard.
Dated. Each product shows the date we checked it. The current data was checked between 2026-10-26 and 2026-10-28.
As listed. We record calories and protein per serving exactly as the source lists them. We don't recalculate, round differently or "correct" a brand's label.
As sold. Restaurant items are the standard U.S. recipe, and drinks are the size we list (usually Grande at Starbucks), without customization.

What's on the leaderboard

We currently track 143 products from 16 brands and restaurants. By category: Fast food (38), Bars (36), Shakes (26), Snacks (22), Meals (11), Yogurt (10). 10 items are currently flagged as new or seasonal. We started with popular high-protein brands and chains, and we add more over time.

Price and taste

Price is shown as price per serving and cost per 10 g of protein, but only where we've confirmed a price from a page we can link to. Right now that's 26 of 143 products, all from brand websites at a specific pack size. Price never affects the rank.

Taste is shared 👍/👎 voting from visitors, one vote per product per browser. We show it next to each product as a tiebreaker. It never affects the rank either.

Money doesn't affect the rank. Some links on the site may be affiliate links, and brands may buy clearly labeled sponsor spots, but no one can pay to change a product's numbers or position. See our disclosure.

What we don't capture

Protein per calorie is useful, but it's one lens. Things our ranking doesn't account for:

The rest of the label: sugar, fat, fiber, sodium, carbs, ingredients and allergens.
Protein quality. Different protein sources differ in how complete and digestible they are. We count grams only.
Serving size. A small, efficient item can score higher than a big one with more total protein. Use the Protein column if total grams matter to you.
Exact weights. Only 69 of our 143 products list a gram, mL or ounce weight in the serving we recorded; the rest are listed as "1 bar", "1 item" or similar, as the source shows them.
Variation. Restaurant food is made by hand, and recipes, sizes and menus change by location and season.
Label accuracy. We use what brands publish. We don't lab-test anything, and labels are allowed some rounding.

Ties

Many products share the same score, often because a brand uses identical numbers across flavors. Tied products get consecutive rank numbers in the order they appear in our data file. That order doesn't mean one is better than another.

Corrections and suggestions

If a number is wrong, a label has changed, or a product is missing, tell us. The fastest way is to mention or message @ProteinDropHQ on X. Please include the product name, the serving, and a link to the current label or nutrition page. We check every correction against the source, and when we change a product we update its "checked" date.

This page is general information about how our site works, not medical, dietary or health advice. How much protein you need is personal; a doctor or registered dietitian can help.

See the rankings in action on the full leaderboard, or start with the top 20.

Disclaimer: All numbers come from manufacturer labels, brand websites and restaurant nutrition pages on the dates shown on the leaderboard. They can change without notice, vary by location, flavor or customization, or differ from the product in your hand. Always check the current label. This article is general information only and is not medical, dietary or health advice.