Protein Exchanges

All food items are one exchange each, unless otherwise noted.
All exchanges are one ounce each, unless otherwise noted.

Beef
Baby Beef
Chipped Beef
Flank Steak
Tenderloin
Plate Skirt Steak
Round (all cuts)
Rump
Spare Ribs
Tripe
Ground Beef (all)
Roast (rib chuck and rump)
Steak (cubed, porterhouse, and T-bone)
Meatloaf
Most USDA Prime Rib cuts (ribs and club steak)
Corned Beef and Brisket

Pork
Lean Pork (fresh, canned, cured, and boiled ham)
Canadian Bacon
Tenderloin
Most Pork Products (chops, loin roast, Boston Butt, and cutlets)
Sausage (patty and link)
Deviled Ham

Veal
All Cuts (leg, loin, rib, shank, shoulder, and cutlet)

Poultry
Chicken
Turkey
Ground Turkey
Cornish Hen
Guinea Hen
Duck
Goose

Fish
Any Fresh or Frozen Fish - 1 1/2 ounce
Any Fried Fish product
Caviar, Fish, Roe, Eel, and Smelts
Herring (uncreamed or smoked)
Oysters (medium) - 6
Salmon (canned or fresh)
Sardines (medium, canned) - 2
Tuna

Shellfish
Crab - 2 ounces
Lobster - 2 ounces
Scallops - 2 ounces
Shrimp - 2 ounces

Wild Game
Venison
Rabbit
Squirrel
Pheasant
Duck (without skin)
Goose (without skin)

Cheese

  • *No fat free cheeses or cheeses with less than 1% milk fat are permitted.*
All Regular Cheese (American, blue, cheddar, Monterey, Swiss, etc.)
Cottage Cheese - 1/4 cup
Grated Parmesean Cheese - 2 tbsp
Skim or Part Skim Cheese (55-80 cals/ounce)
Mozzarella
Ricotta - 1/4 cup

Other
Egg (w/yolk) - 1
Hot Dog (chicken or turkey, regular or reduced fat) - 1
Lamb (ground or rib roast)
Liver, Heart, and Kidney
Luncheon Meat
Peanut Butter - 1 tbsp.
Sausage (bratwurst, Italian, knockwurst, and Polish)
Tofu - 1/2 cup
Veggie Burger - 1 patty


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