Best overall: Skinless chicken breast

Chicken breast is the most reliable all-around choice if you want high protein with minimal fuss. It’s versatile, widely available, easy to portion, and works for meal prep whether you’re grilling, baking, air-frying, or shredding it into bowls and salads.

It also stands out because it’s easy to keep lean without much effort. For most people who want a simple everyday protein source, chicken breast is the safest answer: straightforward nutrition, no mercury issue, and plenty of flexibility across cuisines.

Best for convenience: Canned tuna

Canned tuna is the convenience winner. It requires no cooking, travels well, and can turn into a high-protein meal in minutes with crackers, rice, wraps, pasta, or a salad. That makes it especially useful for busy workdays, travel, or when you need a protein source stocked in the pantry.

Tuna is especially attractive if your main priority is protein per ounce of effort. The tradeoff is that you need to pay attention to the type of tuna you buy and how often you eat it, since mercury levels vary by species and larger predatory fish generally carry more.

Best for everyday health: Chicken when you eat it often

If you’re choosing a protein to eat several times a week, chicken usually gets the edge. It avoids the mercury issue that comes with tuna, so it’s easier to use frequently without worrying about fish-type limits. That matters for people building a repeatable high-protein routine.

Chicken also plays well with almost any diet style. It’s easy to season lightly for a heart-healthy plate or use in bigger, more filling meals when you’re trying to support training, recovery, or appetite control.

Best budget-and-variety option: Use both strategically

The smartest answer for many people isn’t tuna or chicken every day — it’s using both. Chicken is a strong meal-prep staple, while tuna is a low-effort backup for emergencies, lunches, and days when cooking just isn’t happening.

That mix gives you variety in taste and texture, which helps with adherence. It also spreads out your intake of fish and poultry so you can stay consistent without getting bored. If you track meals with Fitnit, photo-based logging can make it easier to compare portions and keep your protein targets on track without guessing.

Tips

• Choose chicken breast if you want the easiest all-purpose protein for meal prep.
• Choose tuna when you need a no-cook protein option that’s fast and portable.
• If you eat tuna often, check the type and keep mercury guidance in mind.
• Use simple portion rules: build each meal around one solid protein serving, then add carbs and vegetables around it.
• Rotate protein sources during the week to improve adherence and make your meals easier to stick with.