In this article
- The two bars a food has to clear
- High protein high fiber foods sorted into four groups
- Why legumes own the top group
- What else the top group brings
- The near misses, and what holds them back
- A protein fiber foods list by goal
- Pairs that clear both bars together
- A balanced diet built on both bars
- Checking any label against both bars
- The serving size edge case
- High protein and high fiber: questions people ask
- Sources
Picture two boxes on a shelf, one shouting “high protein” and the other “high fiber.” Under FDA rules, each word means the same thing: a serving delivers at least 20 percent of the Daily Value for that nutrient.
Run whole foods through both tests and a short list of high protein high fiber foods appears. Split peas, lentils, beans, chickpeas and edamame pass both, while chicken, tofu, quinoa and nuts each pass one or neither.
Below, you’ll see where common foods land, what moves a food between groups, and how to build a balanced day from the ones that pass.
The two bars a food has to clear
The FDA sets a Daily Value of 50 grams for protein and 28 grams for fiber. Federal labeling rules let a food say “high,” “rich in” or “excellent source” when one serving gives 20 percent or more, and “good source” for 10 to 19 percent.
That gives two simple cutoffs per serving:
- High in protein: 10 grams or more
- High in fiber: 5.6 grams or more
- Good source of protein: 5 to 9.9 grams
- Good source of fiber: 2.8 to 5.5 grams
We’re using these thresholds as a yardstick for whole foods, not as label claims. Real claims depend on official serving sizes, and fiber claims also require a fat disclosure unless the food is low in fat.
High protein high fiber foods sorted into four groups
Here’s how 18 common foods score on both bars, using USDA FoodData Central values and typical servings.
| Food | Serving | Protein (% DV) | Fiber (% DV) | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Split peas, cooked | 1 cup | 16.3 g (33%) | 16.3 g (58%) | High in both |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 17.9 g (36%) | 15.6 g (56%) | High in both |
| Navy beans, cooked | 1 cup | 15 g (30%) | 19 g (68%) | High in both |
| Pinto beans, cooked | 1 cup | 15.4 g (31%) | 15.4 g (55%) | High in both |
| Mung beans, cooked | 1 cup | 14.2 g (28%) | 15.4 g (55%) | High in both |
| Black beans, cooked | 1 cup | 15.2 g (30%) | 15.0 g (54%) | High in both |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1 cup | 14.5 g (29%) | 12.5 g (45%) | High in both |
| Edamame | 1 cup | 18.4 g (37%) | 8.1 g (29%) | High in both |
| Lupini beans, cooked | 1 cup | 25.9 g (52%) | 4.6 g (16%) | High protein, good fiber |
| Firm tofu | 1/2 cup | 21.8 g (44%) | 2.9 g (10%) | High protein, good fiber |
| Green peas, cooked | 1 cup | 8.6 g (17%) | 8.8 g (31%) | Good protein, high fiber |
| Chia seeds | 1 oz | 4.7 g (9%) | 9.8 g (35%) | High fiber only |
| Quinoa, cooked | 1 cup | 8.1 g (16%) | 5.2 g (19%) | Good in both |
| Whole pumpkin seeds, roasted | 1 oz | 5.3 g (11%) | 5.2 g (19%) | Good in both |
| Almonds | 1 oz | 6.0 g (12%) | 3.5 g (13%) | Good in both |
| Peanuts | 1 oz | 7.3 g (15%) | 2.4 g (9%) | Good protein only |
| Chicken breast, roasted | 3 oz | 26.4 g (53%) | 0 g | High protein only |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 170 g | 17.3 g (35%) | 0 g | High protein only |
Eight foods clear both bars, and every one of them is a legume. Nothing from the meat case, dairy aisle or nut bin makes it at a normal serving.
The bottom of the table splits the other way. Chicken and Greek yogurt are excellent protein sources with no fiber, while chia seeds pass the fiber test easily and miss the protein bar at 9 percent.
Why legumes own the top group
Legumes are the only foods in the table with double digit grams of both nutrients in a single cup. Split peas show it best, with exactly 16.3 grams of each nutrient in a cooked cup.
Navy beans have the highest fiber in the group, at 68 percent of the Daily Value, while edamame leads on protein at 37 percent. Edamame only just clears the fiber bar, with 8.1 grams.
Not sure how many grams of fiber your own day needs? Our fiber calculator gives you a personal target to measure these foods against.
What else the top group brings
Clearing both bars is only part of the story. The same cups of legumes carry nutrients that go beyond protein and fiber:
- Black beans: about 256 micrograms of folate per cup, 64 percent of the Daily Value, plus 120 milligrams of magnesium
- Lentils: about 6.6 milligrams of iron per cup, 37 percent of the Daily Value
- Lentils and beans: only a few milligrams of sodium when cooked without salt
That makes the high in both group a strong base for a balanced diet, not just a way to hit two numbers at once.
The near misses, and what holds them back
Strong on protein, short on fiber
Lupini beans carry more protein per serving than any food in the table except chicken, but only 4.6 grams of fiber. Firm tofu follows the same pattern, at 21.8 grams of protein and 2.9 grams of fiber per half cup.
Strong on fiber, short on protein
Green peas clear the fiber bar easily with 8.8 grams per cup, but their 8.6 grams of protein falls just under 10. Chia seeds bring 9.8 grams of fiber per ounce and less than 5 grams of protein.
Good, not high, on both
Quinoa, almonds and whole pumpkin seeds sit in the middle. Each is a good source of both nutrients at a normal serving, without reaching the high mark for either.
A protein fiber foods list by goal
Which group you lean on depends on what your plate is missing:
- Need both in one food: split peas, lentils, navy, pinto, black or mung beans, chickpeas, edamame
- Protein is covered, fiber isn’t: green peas, chia seeds, any bean from the top group
- Fiber is covered, protein isn’t: lupini beans, tofu, chicken, Greek yogurt
- Want a little of each in a snack: almonds, whole pumpkin seeds, quinoa
Harvard’s Nutrition Source frames this as the “protein package”: the fiber, fats, sodium and other nutrients that come with each protein source. Legumes bring the package with the most fiber attached.
Pairs that clear both bars together
Single foods that fall short can pass as a team. These combinations use the same FoodData Central values:
| Pair | Protein | Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt (170 g) + chia seeds (1 oz) | 22.0 g | 9.8 g |
| Chicken breast (3 oz) + lentils (1/2 cup) | 35.4 g | 7.8 g |
| Quinoa (1 cup) + black beans (1/2 cup) | 15.7 g | 12.7 g |
| Firm tofu (1/2 cup) + green peas (1/2 cup) | 26.1 g | 7.3 g |
Each pair clears both 20 percent marks. The pattern holds in each case: pair a protein strong food with a fiber strong food and you get both.
Looking for recipes that pair lean protein with beans, grains and seeds? Our recipe eBooks are full of high fiber combinations.
A balanced diet built on both bars
Mayo Clinic suggests about 25 grams of fiber a day for women and 38 grams for men up to age 50. Harvard notes the protein recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, about 54 grams for a 150 pound adult.
Here’s a day that uses one pair or high in both food at each meal:
- Breakfast: Greek yogurt with chia seeds, 22.0 g protein and 9.8 g fiber
- Lunch: a cup of cooked lentils over greens, 17.9 g protein and 15.6 g fiber
- Dinner: quinoa with black beans and a 3 oz chicken breast, 42.1 g protein and 12.7 g fiber
That adds up to about 82 grams of protein and 38 grams of fiber, meeting both targets for most adults. Most of the fiber comes from the legumes and seeds.
If going from a low fiber diet to a day like this sounds like a big jump, our gut health guides walk you through raising your intake step by step.
Checking any label against both bars
You can run the same test on a packaged food in seconds:
- Find the protein line and check for 10 grams or more per serving
- Find the dietary fiber line and check for 5.6 grams or more
- Use the % Daily Value column if it’s there: 20 percent or higher means high
- Compare the serving size with what you actually eat, since doubling it doubles both numbers
The serving size edge case
Serving size can move a food between groups. One ounce of almonds is a good source of both nutrients, with 6.0 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber.
Double it to 2 ounces and almonds reach 12 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber, high in both. The catch is about 328 calories, against 230 for a cup of lentils with more of each nutrient.
It works in reverse too. Half a cup of lentils has about 9 grams of protein and 7.8 grams of fiber, so a smaller portion slips below the protein bar while staying high in fiber.
So the top group’s real advantage is efficiency. Legumes clear both bars at a normal portion, while most other foods need a larger serving or a partner to get there.
High protein and high fiber: questions people ask
Which foods are high in both protein and fiber?
Legumes. Split peas, lentils, navy, pinto, black and mung beans, chickpeas and edamame each give at least 10 grams of protein and 5.6 grams of fiber per cup.
What counts as high protein or high fiber?
Under FDA labeling rules, high means 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per serving. That works out to 10 grams of protein or 5.6 grams of fiber.
Is tofu high in fiber?
No. Half a cup of firm tofu has 2.9 grams of fiber, a good source but not high, along with 21.8 grams of protein.
Are nuts high in protein and fiber?
Not at a 1 ounce serving. Almonds have 6.0 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber, which makes them a good source of both.
Is quinoa high protein and high fiber?
It’s a good source of both. A cooked cup has 8.1 grams of protein and 5.2 grams of fiber, just under the high mark for each.
Which high protein food has the most fiber?
Navy beans lead the foods that pass both tests, with 19 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein per cooked cup.
How do I get protein and fiber in a balanced diet?
Pair foods that are high in only one. Greek yogurt with chia seeds gives 22 grams of protein and 9.8 grams of fiber.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “FoodData Central” (split peas, lentils, navy, pinto, mung and black beans, chickpeas, edamame, lupini beans, firm tofu 172475, green peas, chia seeds, quinoa, whole pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, chicken breast 171477, Greek yogurt 170894; all cooked where applicable). 2026. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2024. www.fda.gov
- Code of Federal Regulations. “21 CFR 101.54: Nutrient content claims for good source, high, more, and high potency.” 2026. ecfr.gov
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” Mayo Clinic. 2025. mayoclinic.org
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Protein.” The Nutrition Source. 2025. nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu
