Plant- Based Protein Chart
The following is a chart that I adapted from the USDA Nutrient Database that displays the protein content of vegetarian foods. Because I do not personally include dairy or soy into my diet, you will not see these items listen. Please note that in order to determine the amount of protein that is optimal for your body, use the following formula that is based on a vegetarian recommendation:
Convert weight to kg (pounds/ 2.2)
Multiply kg by .9= Protein recommendation in grams
Nut/Seed (1/4 Cup; 4 tbs) |
Protein (g) |
| Chia Seed | 12 |
| Hemp Seed | 10 |
| Flax Seed | 8 |
| Sunflower Seed | 8 |
| Salba | 7.4 |
| Almond | 7 |
| Pumpkin Seed | 7 |
| Sesame Seed | 7 |
| Pistachio | 6 |
| Walnut | 5 |
| Brazil Nut | 5 |
| Hazelnut | 5 |
| Pine Nut | 4 |
| Cashew | 4 |
Beans (1 Cup cooked) |
Protein (g) |
| Lentil | 18 |
| Adzuki | 17 |
| Cannellini (white beans) | 17 |
| Cranberry bean | 17 |
| Navy Bean | 16 |
| Split Peas | 16 |
| Anasazi | 15 |
| Black Bean | 15 |
| Garbanzos (chick peas) | 15 |
| Kidney Bean | 15 |
| Great Northern Beans | 15 |
| Lima Beans | 15 |
| Pink Beans | 15 |
| Black-eyed Peas | 14 |
| Mung Beans | 14 |
| Pinto Beans | 14 |
| Green Peas | 9 |
Grains (1 Cup cooked) |
Protein (g) |
| Triticale | 25 |
| Millet | 8.4 |
| Amaranth | 7 |
| Oat, bran | 7 |
| Wild Rice | 7 |
| Rye Berries | 7 |
| Whole Wheat Couscous | 6 |
| Bulgar Wheat | 6 |
| Buckwheat | 6 |
| Teff | 6 |
| Oat Groats | 6 |
| Barley | 5 |
| Quinoa | 5 |
| Brown Rice | 5 |
| Spelt | 5 |
Vegetables (cooked) |
Protein (g) |
| Corn (1 large cob) | 5 |
| Potato (with skin) | 5 |
| Mushroom, Oyster (1 cup) | 5 |
| Collard Greens (1 cup) | 4 |
| Peas (1/2 cup) | 4 |
| Artichoke (medium) | 4 |
| Broccoli (1 cup) | 4 |
| Brussel Sprouts (1 cup) | 4 |
| Mushroom,Shitake (1 cup) | 3.5 |
| Fennel (1 medium bulb) | 3 |
| Swiss Chard (1 cup) | 3 |
| Kale (1 cup) | 2.5 |
| Asparagus (5 spears) | 2 |
| String Beans (1 cup) | 2 |
| Beets (1 cup) | 2 |
| Sweet Potato (1 cup) | 3 |
| Cabbage (1 cup) | 2 |
| Carrot (1 cup) | 2 |
| Cauliflower (1 cup) | 2 |
| Rutabaga | 2 |
| Squash | 2 |
| Celery (1 cup) | 1 |
| Spinach (1 cup) | 1 |
| Bell Peppers (1 cup) | 1 |
| Cucumber (1 cup) | 1 |
| Eggplant (1 cup) | 1 |
| Leeks (1 cup) | 1 |
| Lettuce (1 cup) | 1 |
| Okra (1/2 cup) | 1 |
| Onion (1/2 cup) | 1 |
Other Sources |
Protein (g) |
| Egg | 6 |
| Sunwarrior Rice Protein (scoop) | 17 |
| Avocado (1 medium) | 4 |
| Cherimoya | 7 |
| Durian (1 cup) | 4 |
| Sapote (1 medium) | 5 |
Hi Kale Enthusiasts! My name is Lauren and I am a certified nutritionist but more importantly a nutrition nerd. My favorite things are farmer's markets, the ocean, my vitamix, stopping to smell the roses and most anything that comes straight from the ground. Welcome to my quest! 
Join me in my quest to find "The Holy Kale" of the health and wellness world. On this journey I will share with you the best way to feed your mind, body and soul so that you can be inspired to express your ultimate health! 
Very helpful!
Hi,
Thank you for such a clean site that offers many different perspectives. I find that most people are able to write but only from one angle. So I appreciate your full scope. I have one of these less than nutritionist certs, as in I work under someone else’s license and work as a personal trainer. I am mostly vegan and then sometimes I have yogurt, and/or fish. NEVER EAT SOY, minus the occasional edamame. But that is more about dedication than a craving for animal products. So I think anyway. In fact, the other day I had sushi and I slept for two hours after the meal. Could have something to do with stomach acid, or that I go so long without animal protein.. I don’t know.
My question today is simply.. about the metabolism of the proteins from plants and vegetables.. such asparagus, sweet potato, and letil, which is a favorite dish of mine. While these are not soy products is the protein profile the same?
I have been arguing that it is not and that the body utilizes it much differently, but as I try to research if I am correct.. I am turning up sites that lump soy-based protein with having the same effect on the body as plant/vegetable protein. Is this because their commonality is what they lack (the amino acids found in animal protein) and so these writers just put them together to simplify their articles. If I have confused you.. I apologize.
To put it simply..
When metabolized what is the difference between plant/vegetable protein on the body as compared to soy-based protein? Thank you.
Tiffany Fuentes recently posted..Wednesday
Soy contains all the necessary essential amino acids while other vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds and beans do not, other than hemp seeds. The main idea when not eating meat is that you want to make sure that you eat a wide range of plant-based foods so that you over the course of the day obtain all the necessary essential amino acids. While soy does contain all the essential amino acids, it is not the best way to get protein due to it being GMO, a high estrogenic food, and often extremely processed. Therefore, as long as you eat a blend of whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and vegetables, you should be able to get all the protein your body needs. If you are concerned, you can look to eating vegan protein powders (brown rice and hemp) and eating superfoods such as hemp and chia for an extra boost.
ME ENCANTA TODO LO REFERENTE A ESATA PAGINA
Thanks for this very useful chart! Great blog!
Debby Sunshine recently posted..Lula’s Sweet Apothecary
Thanks Debbie! Love your name
Hello. Would you eat soy if it was not GMO and not highly processed? Thanks, Christine
Hi Christine, I actually wrote a whole article about soy which will help you to understand the differences in soy and how they affect the body. Check out my article “Soy: to eat or not to eat”
Thanks for creating this list for us. My question has to do with the balance of carbs to proteins. I find a ratio of 7 grams clean protein to 9 grams low glycemic carbs to 4-6 grams good fats works best for me. Do you know about that ‘formula’, that can be doubled, trippled, etc? How then, can beans for instance, be counted on for protein in that formula when they have a higher carb content? Thanks.
Hi Galle, I actually do not eat in ratios, since my needs change due to the time in my life and my type of exercise. In this case I would consider the bean the protein though and the count the carb secondly. Furthermore, to make beans a complete protein, you need to eat them with a complex carb like brown rice. Therefore, in this case the rice would be the carb and the bean the protein.
so- is that formula at the top telling me i need 77g of protein???? probly not gonna happen..
Hi Lauren
I am a school teacher who just found out that I have MS. I want to eat healthy and the first two steps I began was giving up all meat and refined sugar. I have been integrating vegetables and more fruits but I fear the I am not getting enough proteins. Q:Do you offer recipes that offer this type of diet? Thanks, Joan
Hi Joan, there are recipes in the my recipe section, but I also have listed many other websites that also share great recipes as well. A great way to ensure adequate protein is to make a smoothie daily with a vegan protein. If you also include hemp seeds, you can add in quite a bit of protein for the day in just that one smoothie. You actually do get quite a bit of protein throughout the day if you are eating a wide range of plant-based foods, and you can also always add in organic, farmers market eggs as well if needed.
Hi Lauren,
I was wondering if using a hemp protein powder in my morning smoothie could have a positive(in a bad way) effect on a drug test. My husband says that it could.
Thanks,
Donna
HI Donna, hemp powder as well as hemp food products like the seeds do not contain THC levels that would interfere with a drug test. They actually are held to standards to ensure this safety. Check out this site: http://www.testpledge.com/foods.htm
Hi,
Love this article thanks for the info!
Just a thought for Donna – in case you’re here in Australia that might not be accurate! Over here there is (ridiculously) a zero tolerance on THC from hemp products (in sport anyway).
Thanks Annabel for the tip!
I think that quinoa is much higher in protein than your chart states. Several sources list 8g protein for 1 cup of cooked quinoa. This makes a big difference!
Here’s one source:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/10352/2
Thanks HIlary, not sure how the quinoa varies by brand, but if you have one that has 8g all the better!