Best Paleo High-Protein Foods, Ranked
Paleo is an ingredient-rules diet, so we score it from the full USDA ingredient list. Products start at a perfect score and lose points for grains, dairy, legumes and soy, refined seed oils, added or artificial sweeteners, and industrial additives. The cleanest single-ingredient animal foods rise to the top.
The ranked list
1. Wonderful — Pistachios (No Salt / In-Shell)
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · A- Labelgrade 85/100 · 6 g protein
passes paleo screen
2. Justin's — Classic Almond Butter
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 84/100 · 7 g protein
passes paleo screen
3. Safe Catch — Elite Wild Tuna
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 83/100 · 24 g protein
passes paleo screen
4. Wild Planet — No Salt Added Wild Sardines in Water
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 83/100 · 18 g protein
passes paleo screen
5. Bumble Bee — Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 82/100 · 13 g protein
passes paleo screen
6. Wild Planet — Albacore Wild Tuna
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 82/100 · 21 g protein
passes paleo screen
7. Wild Planet — Wild Pink Salmon
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 82/100 · 18 g protein
passes paleo screen
8. Wild Planet — Wild Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 81/100 · 21 g protein
passes paleo screen
9. Bumble Bee — Chunk Light Tuna in Water
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 80/100 · 11 g protein
passes paleo screen
10. StarKist — Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B+ Labelgrade 80/100 · 16 g protein
passes paleo screen
11. StarKist — Chunk Light Tuna In Water
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B Labelgrade 79/100 · 13 g protein
passes paleo screen
12. Bumble Bee — Premium Wild Pink Salmon
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B Labelgrade 77/100 · 13 g protein
passes paleo screen
13. RXBAR — Chocolate Chip Protein Bar
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B Labelgrade 77/100 · 12 g protein
passes paleo screen
14. King Oscar — Sardines in Pure Spring Water
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B Labelgrade 76/100 · 15 g protein
passes paleo screen
15. Season — Sardines in Olive Oil
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B Labelgrade 75/100 · 21.4 g protein
passes paleo screen
16. Stryve — Original Beef Biltong, Original
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · B- Labelgrade 74/100 · 16 g protein
passes paleo screen
17. Applegate — The Great Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dog
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · C+ Labelgrade 67/100 · 6 g protein
passes paleo screen
18. Chomps — Original Beef Sticks
Paleo-fit 100/100 A+ · C+ Labelgrade 67/100 · 9 g protein
passes paleo screen
19. MaraNatha — Creamy Almond Butter
Paleo-fit 82/100 B+ · B Labelgrade 79/100 · 6 g protein
refined or artificial sweeteners
20. Boar's Head — Turkey Breast
Paleo-fit 82/100 B+ · B Labelgrade 75/100 · 13 g protein
refined or artificial sweeteners
21. Field Trip — Original Meat Stick
Paleo-fit 82/100 B+ · C+ Labelgrade 65/100 · 8 g protein
refined or artificial sweeteners
22. Krave — Pork Jerky, Black Cherry Barbecue
Paleo-fit 82/100 B+ · C Labelgrade 64/100 · 9 g protein
refined or artificial sweeteners
23. Tillamook — Old Fashioned Beef Jerky, Old Fashioned
Paleo-fit 82/100 B+ · C Labelgrade 63/100 · 10 g protein
refined or artificial sweeteners
24. Vega — One All-in-One Nutritional Shake, Vanilla Chai
Paleo-fit 75/100 B · A Labelgrade 94/100 · 20 g protein
contains legumes/soy
25. House Foods — Organic Tofu
Paleo-fit 75/100 B · A- Labelgrade 86/100 · 14 g protein
contains legumes/soy
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How we scored Paleo fit
Scored from the ingredient list against Loren Cordain's framework: major penalties for grains, dairy, and legumes; smaller penalties for refined seed oils, added/artificial sweeteners, and preservatives. Whole, single-ingredient foods score highest.
Every score is computed from the same USDA nutrition and ingredient data we use for the public Labelgrade, applied to the documented rules in our diet-fit engine — no proprietary "score brewing." All nutrition verified against USDA FoodData Central. See how Labelgrade grades food. Last refreshed 2026-06-03.
See Paleo fit on every product — plus 6 more diets
This page ranks the top picks. Labelgrade Premium shows the Paleo-fit score on every product fact sheet the moment you open it — alongside Keto, Mediterranean, Paleo, Whole30, DASH, high-protein, and diabetic-friendly. Same transparent methodology, on the whole catalog.
See Premium — $5/mo →Frequently Asked Questions
What disqualifies a food from being paleo?
The big three are grains (wheat, oats, corn, rice), dairy (milk, cheese, whey, casein), and legumes (soy, beans, peanuts, lentils). Paleo also excludes refined seed oils (canola, soybean, corn, sunflower), added and artificial sweeteners, and industrial additives like maltodextrin and carrageenan. Our score applies a graded penalty for each, so a product with one minor additive still ranks above one built on grains and soy.
Is dairy ever allowed on paleo?
Strict paleo excludes all dairy. Some modern variants ("primal") allow high-fat dairy like butter and aged cheese. Our score follows strict paleo and penalizes dairy, so plain Greek yogurt — excellent on most of our other lists — scores lower here. If you follow a dairy-inclusive variant, check the vegetarian or high-protein lists too.
What are the best paleo protein foods?
Plain jerky and meat sticks without added sugar, canned wild fish, eggs, and single-ingredient nut products tend to top a paleo screen. The ranked list above is computed from the actual ingredient panels in our catalog, so it reflects which specific products pass cleanest.