Dozens of everyday foods deliver both carbohydrates and protein in a single serving. Legumes, dairy, soy products, whole grains, and certain vegetables all pack meaningful amounts of both macronutrients, making them especially useful for balanced meals without a lot of mixing and matching.
Legumes: The Highest Natural Combo
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are the standout foods when you need both carbs and protein from one source. A 100-gram serving of cooked green or brown lentils delivers 8.8 grams of protein alongside roughly 20 grams of carbohydrates. Red kidney beans come in at 8.3 grams of protein per 100 grams cooked, chickpeas at 7.6 grams, and white beans at 7.8 grams. All of these carry a similar carbohydrate load in the low-to-mid 20s per 100 grams, plus a hefty dose of fiber that slows digestion and keeps you full longer.
Soybeans sit at the top of the protein list among pulses, with 10.6 grams per 100 grams cooked, and they carry fewer carbs than most other beans. Yellow split peas (8.4 grams protein) and mung beans (7.6 grams) round out the options. The practical takeaway: nearly any bean or lentil you toss into a soup, salad, or burrito gives you a solid hit of both macronutrients.
Dairy Products
Greek yogurt is one of the most protein-dense dairy options you can find. A 200-gram serving (about 7 ounces) of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt contains 20 grams of protein and 7.8 grams of carbs, totaling just 146 calories. That protein-to-carb ratio is significantly better than regular yogurt, which tends to flip the balance toward more sugar and less protein. Flavored varieties will push the carb count much higher, so plain is the way to go if protein is the priority.
Cottage cheese follows a similar pattern, offering a high protein count with moderate carbs. Milk itself provides both macronutrients too: a cup of skim milk has about 8 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbohydrate, all from naturally occurring lactose.
Soy-Based Foods
Tempeh is a fermented soy product with an impressive macronutrient profile. A 3-ounce (84-gram) serving delivers 18 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbohydrate, along with 7 grams of fiber. That’s more protein per serving than tofu, which contains less of both macronutrients because of its higher water content. Edamame (whole young soybeans) falls somewhere between the two, offering a snackable option with a good balance of carbs and protein.
For people avoiding animal products, soy foods are one of the few plant sources that provide complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids your body can’t make on its own.
Grains and Pasta
Standard durum wheat pasta is carb-heavy: about 77% carbohydrate with less than 10% protein by dry weight. That’s fine if you’re fueling up before a long run, but not ideal if you want balanced macros. Protein-enriched pasta flips the equation. High-protein varieties can contain around 36 grams of protein per 100 grams dry (roughly four times the standard amount), while cutting carbohydrates nearly in half. Once cooked, a serving of protein-enriched pasta delivers about 15 to 17 grams of protein and 21 grams of carbs.
Quinoa is another grain worth knowing about. A cooked cup provides roughly 8 grams of protein and 39 grams of carbohydrate, and like soy, it’s a complete protein. Oats follow a similar pattern: a half-cup of dry oats gives you about 5 grams of protein and 27 grams of carbs before you add anything to the bowl.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds lean more toward fat and protein than carbs, but they still contain both macronutrients. A 1-ounce serving (28 grams) of raw almonds has 6.8 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of carbohydrate. Roasted almonds bump the protein slightly to 7.3 grams while dropping the carbs to 4.3 grams.
Pumpkin seeds are even more protein-dense: 9.3 grams of protein per ounce raw, or 10 grams roasted, with only 3.4 to 3.6 grams of carbs. They’re one of the best snack options if you want protein without a big carbohydrate load. Peanuts and peanut butter land in a similar zone. Two tablespoons of peanut butter provide 8 grams of protein and 7 grams of carbs.
Starchy Vegetables
Most vegetables are too low in protein to matter for this question, but a few starchy ones deliver enough of both macronutrients to count. A medium potato has 3 grams of protein and 26 grams of carbohydrate. Sweet corn from one medium ear provides 4 grams of protein and 18 grams of carbs. A medium sweet potato offers 2 grams of protein and 23 grams of carbs. None of these are protein powerhouses on their own, but they contribute meaningful amounts when combined with other foods in a meal.
Green peas are the real outlier among vegetables. A cooked cup contains about 8 grams of protein and 21 grams of carbohydrate, putting them closer to legume territory than typical greens.
Smart Pairings That Boost Both
Sometimes the best approach is combining a high-carb food with a high-protein one. A medium apple with two tablespoons of peanut butter gives you about 32 grams of carbs and 8 grams of protein in a 283-calorie snack. Hummus (made from chickpeas) with whole-grain crackers, cheese on whole-wheat bread, or yogurt with granola all follow the same logic.
These combinations do more than just add up the macros. Protein triggers the release of gut hormones that signal fullness, while carbohydrates provide quick energy and stimulate insulin to shuttle nutrients into your cells. Eating them together tends to keep you satisfied longer than eating either one alone. High-protein meals produce more than double the gut hormone response compared to high-carb meals, which is a big part of why protein-rich foods feel so filling.
After a Workout
The carb-and-protein combination matters most in the hours after intense exercise. Current sports nutrition guidelines recommend 1 to 1.2 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour, plus 20 to 40 grams of easily digestible protein, for effective muscle glycogen replenishment. For a 150-pound person, that translates to roughly 70 to 80 grams of carbs plus 20 to 40 grams of protein in the recovery window.
Interestingly, adding protein to a recovery meal helps performance most when you’re not eating enough carbs on their own. One study found that combining carbs and protein at a roughly 2:1 ratio improved high-intensity cycling capacity after a 2-hour recovery period compared to carbs alone. But when total carbohydrate intake is already high enough, the extra protein doesn’t speed up glycogen replenishment further. The practical lesson: if you can’t stomach a huge carb-heavy meal after training, adding protein helps compensate.