weight loss
4 minute read
How much protein is in an egg?
The bigger the egg, the more protein it has. Most of that protein sits in the white. The yolk holds the fat, and with it the bulk of the calories.
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weight loss
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How much protein is in a tin of tuna?
Updated
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About a quarter of the tuna in a tin is protein, whether it's packed in brine or oil. What changes the total is how much tuna your tin holds once you drain it.
Drained tuna in brine has 25g of protein per 100g. Tuna in sunflower oil has 25g too.1 These figures, and every other one on this page, come from the UK government's food composition data.
How much protein is in one tin of tuna?
It depends on the drained weight. A tin with 100g of tuna in it has 25g of protein.1
Tins in brine or water must print the drained weight on the label.3 Tins in oil don't have to, so drain the tuna and weigh it.
To work out yours, multiply that weight by 0.25. That works for brine and for oil.
Is tuna in brine or oil better?
For protein, there's almost nothing between them. The difference is fat and calories. Tuna in sunflower oil has about 6 times the fat of tuna in brine. It also has about 50 more calories per 100g.1
Tuna in oil is a little saltier, too.1
The UK data doesn't list tuna in spring water. For a tin in spring water, use the figures on its label.
Does tinned tuna have as much protein as fresh?
Yes, when you compare it with raw fresh tuna. Both have 25g of protein per 100g.1
Baked fresh tuna has more, at 32g. Baking drives out water, so each 100g holds more protein.1
Is tinned tuna a source of protein?
Yes. Tinned tuna in brine and in oil both meet the UK condition for a source of protein.2 Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.2 Eat tuna as part of a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Tinned tuna protein FAQs
How much protein is in 100g of tinned tuna?
About 25g once drained, for either kind of tin.1
Does tuna or egg have more protein?
Per 100g, tinned tuna. Drained tuna in brine has 25g of protein and the same weight of boiled egg has 14g.1
How much tinned tuna is 50g of protein?
About 200g of drained tuna, whichever kind you buy.1
Should I count the liquid in the tin?
No. Weigh the tuna on its own, after draining. That's the weight the figures on this page use.
The numan take
Go by the drained weight, not the tin's full weight, and multiply by 0.25 for your protein. If you're watching fat, choose brine: you get about the same protein with less fat.
For more ways to build meals around protein, see our guide to making your meals healthier and our guide to macronutrients and micronutrients.
References
1. Public Health England. McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset 2021. Public Health England, 19 March 2021. Food codes 16-416 (tuna, canned in brine, drained), 16-417 (tuna, canned in sunflower oil, drained), 16-399 (tuna, flesh only, raw), 16-400 (tuna, flesh only, baked) and 12-940 (eggs, chicken, whole, boiled). Tuna values from Department of Health analysis of fish and fish products, 2013; sodium from table 1.4. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid (opened 9 Nov 2026)
2. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. Spreadsheet of 19 May 2026: health claims, "Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass", and nutrition claims, "Source of protein" (at least 12% of the energy value of the food from protein). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-claims-nhc-register (opened 9 Nov 2026)
3. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, as retained in UK law, Annex IX, point 5 (drained net weight of a solid food in a liquid medium, including water and brine). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/1169/annex/IX (opened 9 Nov 2026)
