In this article
- Animal protein fiber, group by group
- Why animal foods come up empty
- Meat, fish and dairy fiber content up close
- Myth vs fact: sardine bones and fruit yogurt
- The one exception: insects and chitin
- How much fiber cricket powder really adds
- Animal and plant proteins, side by side
- What the cricket gut study found
- What animal proteins bring that plants often don’t
- Pairing animal proteins with fiber, meal by meal
- Where insect fiber research goes next
- Animal protein and fiber: common questions
- Sources
Crunchy sardine bones and the fruit at the bottom of a yogurt cup both feel like they should count for something. They don’t. In USDA FoodData Central, both foods list 0 grams of fiber.
Animal protein fiber is close to nonexistent across meat, fish, dairy and eggs. The single real exception comes from an unusual source: insects, whose hard outer layer contains chitin, a type of fiber.
Here we go group by group, look at what cricket powder actually adds, and show how to cover your fiber needs around the animal proteins you already eat.
Animal protein fiber, group by group
The table pulls one or two common foods from each animal group, at typical serving sizes.
| Animal protein | Serving | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast, roasted | 3 oz | 26.4 g | 0 g |
| Ground beef, 85% lean, broiled | 3 oz | 22 g | 0 g |
| Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked | 3 oz | 19 g | 0 g |
| Sardines, canned in oil, with bone | 3 oz | 20.9 g | 0 g |
| Eggs, hard boiled | 2 large | 12.6 g | 0 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 170 g | 17.3 g | 0 g |
| Fruit yogurt, nonfat | 170 g | 7.5 g | 0 g |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 oz | 6.6 g | 0 g |
| Cricket powder, whole | 25 g | 16.8 g | 1.7 g |
Eight of the nine rows read zero. The cricket powder row is the only one with fiber, and it comes from the insect itself, not from anything added.
Why animal foods come up empty
Mayo Clinic describes dietary fiber as the parts of plant foods your body can’t digest or absorb. By that definition, muscle, organs, milk and eggs have nothing to offer.
That’s why cooking style, cut and fat level never change the fiber line on a plain animal food. A lean chicken breast and a fatty salmon fillet both stay at zero.
Fiber only shows up in an animal based product when something else joins it, such as a whole grain coating or a vegetable filling. Insects are different, because their fiber is built into their bodies.
Meat, fish and dairy fiber content up close
Meat and poultry
Beef, pork, lamb, chicken and turkey all list 0 grams in their plain forms. A 3 ounce broiled beef patty brings 22 grams of protein, and the same amount of roasted chicken breast brings 26.4 grams.
Fish and seafood
Fish is no different. Three ounces of cooked farmed salmon has 19 grams of protein and no fiber, but it does carry about 11 micrograms of vitamin D, more than half the 20 microgram Daily Value.
Dairy
Milk, yogurt and cheese contribute protein and calcium, not fiber. A cup of 2 percent cottage cheese has 24 grams of protein and an ounce of cheddar about 200 milligrams of calcium, both with 0 grams of fiber.
Eggs
Two large eggs give you 12.6 grams of protein and nothing on the fiber line. They are one of the easiest zero fiber foods to pair with a plant side. Scrambled with half a cup of black beans, they make a breakfast with about 7.5 grams of fiber.
Wondering how much fiber your day should hold around these proteins? Our fiber calculator gives you a personal target in a few seconds.
Myth vs fact: sardine bones and fruit yogurt
Myth: the crunchy or fruity parts of animal foods add some fiber.
Fact: sardines canned with their bones list 0 grams of fiber, even though the soft bones raise calcium to 382 milligrams per 100 grams. Bone adds minerals, not plant material.
Fruit yogurt follows the same pattern. USDA’s nonfat fruit variety yogurt shows 0 grams of fiber per 100 grams, along with 19 grams of sugar, so the fruit is there for flavor rather than fiber.
The one exception: insects and chitin
Insects build their outer shell, called an exoskeleton, from chitin. The 2018 cricket study discussed below names chitin as one of the fibers crickets contain, so eating the whole insect brings it along.
Entomo Farms, a cricket farm, lists its whole cricket powder at 6.7 grams of fiber and 67 grams of protein per 100 grams. The only ingredient listed is whole crickets, with nothing else added.
That same spec sheet shows 4.3 milligrams of iron, 230 milligrams of calcium and 38 micrograms of vitamin B12 per 100 grams. That B12 figure is more than 15 times the Daily Value of 2.4 micrograms.
How much fiber cricket powder really adds
Serving size matters here, since few people eat cricket powder by the 100 gram portion.
| Cricket powder | Fiber | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g | 0.7 g | 6.7 g | 46 |
| 25 g | 1.7 g | 16.8 g | 114 |
| 100 g | 6.7 g | 67 g | 456 |
A 25 gram portion covers about 6 percent of the FDA’s 28 gram fiber Daily Value. That’s real, but modest.
For comparison, a cup of cooked lentils carries 15.6 grams of fiber with 17.9 grams of protein. You’d need more than 230 grams of cricket powder to match that fiber, along with over 1,000 calories.
So crickets are interesting as the only animal protein with fiber, not as a main fiber source. A 10 gram spoonful of chia seeds adds 3.4 grams of fiber, about five times the same weight of cricket powder.
Animal and plant proteins, side by side
Setting crickets next to everyday proteins shows where fiber really lives.
| Protein food | Serving | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 17.9 g | 15.6 g |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup | 15.2 g | 15.0 g |
| Edamame | 1 cup | 18.4 g | 8.1 g |
| Firm tofu | 1/2 cup | 21.8 g | 2.9 g |
| Cricket powder | 25 g | 16.8 g | 1.7 g |
| Chicken breast, roasted | 3 oz | 26.4 g | 0 g |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 170 g | 17.3 g | 0 g |
Crickets edge past the other animal foods, but even firm tofu brings more fiber per serving. Legumes sit in a different league, with roughly as many grams of fiber as protein.
That’s the practical point for meat, fish, dairy and egg eaters: the protein can come from anywhere, but the fiber needs a plant.
What the cricket gut study found
A small double blind crossover trial published in Scientific Reports in 2018 gave 20 healthy adults 25 grams of whole cricket powder a day in breakfast foods for two weeks, then compared it with a control period.
The researchers found that a probiotic bacterium, Bifidobacterium animalis, increased 5.7 fold during the cricket period. Cricket eating was also linked with lower blood levels of TNF alpha, a marker of inflammation.
The authors described the dose as tolerable, and they pointed to chitin and other fibers in crickets as a possible reason for the gut changes.
If you’re curious how different fibers shape your gut, our gut health guides explain the basics and how to build up your intake comfortably.
What animal proteins bring that plants often don’t
Zero fiber doesn’t mean zero value. Animal proteins supply several nutrients worth noting:
- Vitamin B12: 3 ounces of canned sardines with bone carry about 7.6 micrograms, over three times the Daily Value
- Vitamin D: 3 ounces of farmed salmon supply about 11 micrograms
- Calcium: an ounce of cheddar gives about 200 milligrams, and sardines with bone about 325 milligrams per 3 ounces
- Protein density: plain Greek yogurt brings 17.3 grams in a 170 gram cup
Mayo Clinic notes that vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. It adds that people who eat few or no animal foods may need fortified foods or a supplement to get enough.
Pairing animal proteins with fiber, meal by meal
Because animal proteins start at zero, the fiber has to come from what sits next to them. Here’s a day that keeps animal protein at every meal and still adds up:
- Breakfast: 170 g plain Greek yogurt with 10 g chia seeds and 100 g raspberries, for about 9.9 g of fiber
- Lunch: 3 oz canned sardines on a salad with 1/2 cup cooked lentils, for about 7.8 g
- Dinner: 3 oz roasted chicken breast with 1 cup cooked black beans, for about 15 g
That day reaches roughly 32.7 grams of fiber, above Mayo Clinic’s 25 gram suggestion for women and within about 5 grams of the 38 grams suggested for men up to age 50. All of it comes from the plant foods on the plate.
Want more meals that pair yogurt, fish, eggs or chicken with beans and grains? Our recipe eBooks have plenty of high fiber combinations.
Where insect fiber research goes next
The cricket trial is one of the few human studies on insect fiber, and it involved just 20 people for two weeks per diet. That’s enough to suggest chitin may affect gut bacteria, not enough to say how much it matters.
Larger and longer trials would need to show whether these changes hold up and whether they lead to measurable health effects. Until then, insects remain a curiosity: the only animal protein fiber source, but a small one next to beans, lentils, seeds and whole grains.
Animal protein and fiber: common questions
Do any animal proteins contain fiber?
Almost none. Meat, fish, dairy and eggs all have 0 grams of fiber, while whole insects such as crickets contain chitin, which counts as fiber.
How much fiber is in cricket powder?
Entomo Farms lists 6.7 grams of fiber per 100 grams of whole cricket powder. A 25 gram portion has about 1.7 grams.
Does fish have fiber?
No. Salmon, cod, tuna and sardines all list 0 grams of fiber, even sardines canned with their soft bones.
Does yogurt have fiber?
Plain and fruit yogurts usually have 0 grams. USDA’s nonfat fruit yogurt shows 0 grams per 100 grams despite the fruit.
Do eggs have fiber?
No. Two large eggs provide 12.6 grams of protein and 0 grams of fiber.
Is chitin good for gut health?
Early research is promising. In a 2018 trial, 25 grams of cricket powder a day raised a beneficial gut bacterium 5.7 fold in 20 adults.
How can I get fiber with animal protein?
Pair it with plants. A chicken breast with a cup of black beans adds about 15 grams of fiber, and yogurt with chia and raspberries about 9.9 grams.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “FoodData Central” (chicken breast, roasted 171477; ground beef 85% lean 174032; salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked 175168; sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil with bone 175139; eggs; Greek yogurt, plain nonfat 170894; yogurt, fruit variety, nonfat 169898; cheddar cheese 328637; cottage cheese 2% 328841; lentils; black beans; chia; raspberries 167755; edamame; firm tofu 172475). 2026. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Entomo Farms. “Conventional Cricket Powder Specification.” 2020. entomofarms.com
- Stull VJ, et al. “Impact of Edible Cricket Consumption on Gut Microbiota in Healthy Adults, a Double-blind, Randomized Crossover Trial.” Scientific Reports. 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2024. www.fda.gov
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” Mayo Clinic. 2025. mayoclinic.org
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition.” Mayo Clinic. 2023. mayoclinic.org
