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Protein and carbohydrates are two of the three macronutrients. With these foods high in protein and carbs, you will get a lot closer to your daily goals.
There are actually a wide variety of whole foods that can help you get both of these nutrients in one go.
From a high-level view, the food groups that contain a lot of grams of protein and carbs per 100 grams are nuts and seeds > legumes > dried fruit > whole grains.
There are of course individual differences within these categories but this ranking gives you a better idea of what you are looking for. Below you can find 10 foods high in protein and carbs from each of these categories with other nutritional details.
1. Cashews
The first option may come as a surprise but cashews are a great “nut”, botanically a seed, to eat to increase your protein intake and carbohydrate intake at the same time.
You do want to keep in mind that the nuts on this list are also relatively high in total calories.
100 grams of cashews contains (1):
- Protein + carbs: 50.9 grams
- Calories: 553
- Protein: 18.2 grams
- Carbs: 32.7 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 3.3 grams
- Fat: 43.8 grams
- Copper: 110% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 83% of the DV
- Magnesium: 73% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 59% of the DV
- Vitamin K: 43% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Cashews are also one of the nuts highest in iron. They are also a nut relatively low in calories per 100 grams but they are rather low in fiber compared to the other nuts.
If you are someone who struggles with hunger a lot it might be better to choose some of the other options on this list.
On the other hand, if you have trouble fitting enough protein and carbs in your stomach, cashews may be what you are looking for.
2. Pistachios
Pistachios are the popular green nuts that often come in a shell. These nuts have been consumed by humans for thousands of years (2).
100 grams of pistachios contains (3):
- Protein + carbs: 48.6 grams
- Calories: 557
- Protein: 20.6 grams
- Carbs: 28 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 10.3 grams
- Fat: 44.4 grams
- Vitamin B6: 85% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 65% of the DV
- Manganese: 60% of the DV
- Thiamin: 58% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 49% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
There is a lot more fiber and protein in pistachios than in the previous option. This can be helpful for reducing hunger and reaching your daily protein intake.
Pistachios come with built-in overeating protection if you buy them shelled. The peeling you have to do slows down how fast you eat pistachios.
Depending on your goals with changing your diet you may want to avoid the pistachio cakes and ice creams out there.
3. Peanuts
While peanuts are botanically legumes, they are often considered nuts because of their nutrient profile. Peanuts are one of the most popular “nuts” in the world although this popularity is partly because of the existence of peanut butter.
100 grams of peanuts contains (4):
- Protein + carbs: 41.9 grams
- Calories: 567
- Protein: 25.8 grams
- Carbs: 16.1 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 8.5 grams
- Fat: 49.2 grams
- Manganese: 97% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Niacin: 60% of the DV
- Folate: 60% of the DV
- Copper: 57% of the DV
- Thiamin: 43% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Besides being an amazing plant-based protein and carbohydrate source, peanuts are one of the best nuts for weight loss.
A popular way to consume peanuts is peanut butter. If you eat peanuts that way make sure you generally avoid the peanut butters high in added sweeteners and oils if being healthy is one of your main goals.
4. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are the next type of legume. Besides protein and carbs, chickpeas can also provide you with a lot of other valuable nutrients.
100 grams of cooked chickpeas contains (5):
- Protein + carbs: 36.3 grams
- Calories: 164
- Protein: 8.9 grams
- Carbs: 27.4 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 7.6 grams
- Fat: 2.6 grams
- Manganese: 52% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Folate: 43% of the DV
- Copper: 18% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 17% of the DV
- Iron: 16% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
There is a wide variety of popular ways that are used to implement more chickpeas into the daily diet. Some examples include hummus, salads, and chickpea soup.
You can also ground down this legume into chickpea flour but this way of preparing chickpeas removes some of the valuable fiber.
5. Pinto beans
Pinto beans are a popular type of legume in Mexico. This food high in protein and carbs is another option with an impressive amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
100 grams of cooked pinto beans contains (6):
- Protein + carbs: 35.2 grams
- Calories: 143
- Protein: 9 grams
- Carbs: 26.2 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 9 grams
- Fat: 0.7 grams
- Folate: 43% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Manganese: 23% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 15% of the DV
- Thiamin: 13% of the DV
- Iron: 12% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
6. Quinoa
Quinoa is botanically a seed but is often described as a whole grain. In the health and weight loss world, quinoa is quickly rising in popularity.
100 grams of cooked quinoa contains (7):
- Protein + carbs: 25.7 grams
- Calories: 120
- Protein: 4.4 grams
- Carbs: 21.3 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 2.8 grams
- Fat: 1.9 grams
- Manganese: 32% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Magnesium: 16% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 15% of the DV
- Folate: 10% of the DV
- Copper: 10% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
Boiled quinoa is a very versatile ingredient. As an example, boiled quinoa is a great addition to salads.
7. Millet
Millet is a type of grain that contains nice amounts of protein and carbs. One thing that does stand out in millet is its low fiber content.
As explained in some of the previous options, this can be both an advantage and a disadvantage depending on your personal situation.
100 grams of cooked millet contains (8):
- Protein + carbs: 27.2 grams
- Calories: 119
- Protein: 3.5 grams
- Carbs: 23.7 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 1.3 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
- Manganese: 14% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Magnesium: 11% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 10% of the DV
- Copper: 8% of the DV
- Thiamin: 7% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
8. Oats
Oats are one of the most popular whole grains in weight loss and health communities. One of the main reasons for this is that oats can keep you full for a long time while providing you with important nutrients like magnesium.
100 grams of oats cooked with water contains (9):
- Protein + carbs: 16.1 grams
- Calories: 71
- Protein: 2.5 grams
- Carbs: 13.6 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 1.7 grams
- Fat: 1.5 grams
- Manganese: 29% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Phosphorus: 8% of the DV
- Selenium: 8% of the DV
- Magnesium: 7% of the DV
- Zinc: 7% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
One of the amazing aspects of oatmeal is that it combines great with other healthy ingredients like fruits, nuts, seeds, and even some vegetables.
9. Raisins
Many people will find raisins another surprising addition to this list. One reason for this is that dried fruits are not that high in protein compared to certain other foods.
However, the high carb contents of raisins compensate enough for this to put this food on the list of high-protein, high-carb options.
One carbohydrate fact to keep in mind is that not all types in this category are made equal. While raisins do contain a nice amount of fiber too, most of their carbohydrates will be from shorter-chain types.
100 grams of raisins contains (10):
- Protein + carbs: 81 grams
- Calories: 296
- Protein: 2.5 grams
- Carbs: 78.5 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 6.8 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Potassium: 24% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 15% of the DV
- Iron: 14% of the DV
- Manganese: 13% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 11% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
10. Dried dates
Dates are another type of dried fruit. While available all around the world dried dates are more common in the Middle East.
100 grams of dried dates contains (11):
- Protein + carbs: 76.8 grams
- Calories: 277
- Protein: 1.8 grams
- Carbs: 75 grams
- Part of the carbs that is fiber: 6.7 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Potassium: 20% of the DV (Daily Value)
- Copper: 18% of the DV
- Manganese: 15% of the DV
- Magnesium: 14% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 12% of the DV
And some other vitamins and minerals in smaller amounts.
