Turkey breast, roasted (meat only)

Roasted turkey breast, skin removed, is USDA FDC ID 174516 (SR Legacy, "Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted"): 29.5 g protein and 136 kcal per 100 g, i.e. 21.69 g protein per 100 kcal — (29.5 / 136) x 100. A 3 oz (85 g) serving, the classic post-Thanksgiving-leftovers portion, provides about 25.1 g protein for 115.6 kcal; a thinner 2 oz deli-style slice (56 g) gives roughly 16.5 g protein for 76 kcal. Per 100 g, FDC lists 70 mg cholesterol, 114 mg sodium, and only 1.97 g total fat (0.66 g saturated), plus 1.76 mcg vitamin B12 and 30.7 mcg selenium. Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health Nutrition Source names poultry — chicken, turkey, and duck — as one of the "best bet" animal protein choices for regular eating, in contrast to red meat, which it recommends limiting. Turkey breast carries no major FDA mercury advisory (it applies to seafood, not poultry) and no widely documented major allergen risk beyond the general and uncommon poultry-meat allergy. The main practical caution concerns sodium and additives rather than the meat itself: many supermarket deli and pre-sliced turkey breast products are injected with a sodium solution or brined, which can push sodium well above the plain roasted value used here (FDC's separate "with added solution" entry for prepackaged turkey breast lists roughly 900 mg sodium per 100 g), so shoppers watching sodium should check the label on sliced or pre-basted turkey rather than assume the plain roasted-breast numbers used in this ranking. Turkey breast — whole, half, or pre-sliced — is sold year-round in essentially every US supermarket, not just around the holidays, and is generally one of the less-expensive poultry cuts per pound relative to other proteins on this list, making it an accessible everyday option rather than an occasional splurge.