In response to the question of "Where do you get your protein?," I put together this chart of the top plant based sources of protein. You can see comparison of vegetables to animal sources here.
The first column lists the food. The second has how many grams of protein are in 1 cup of the food. The third has how many calories you'll consume in the 1 cup and the fourth has how many of those calories are from protein. The final column determines how many grams of protein are in 100 calories of the item.
You can sort each column to see foods in alphabetical order, or the highest and lowest value in each column.
Not all of these foods can be consumed in 1 cup increments. I can only use about 1 teaspoon of spirulina in a smoothie before the taste is too overpowering. Also, one cup of nut butters are a lot of calories.
| Food (1 Cup) |
Protein (Grams) | Calories (kcal) | % of Protein Calories | Grams Protein in 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arugula | 1 | 5 | 80.0% | 20.0 |
| Watercress | 1.0 | 4 | 57.2% | 14.3 |
| Spinach | 1.0 | 10 | 40.0% | 10.0 |
| Chard, Swiss |
1.0 | 7 | 57.1% | 14.3 |
| Collard Greens |
1.0 | 11 | 36.4% | 9.1 |
| Mixed Greens |
1.0 | 10 | 40.0% | 10.0 |
| Celery | 0.7 | 15 | 18.7% | 4.7 |
| Mustard Greens |
1.6 | 15.1 | 42.4% | 10.6 |
| Cucumber | 0.6 | 16 | 15.0% | 3.8 |
| Portobello Mushroom | 2.0 | 20 | 40.0% | 10.0 |
| Zucchini | 1.9 | 20 | 37.4% | 9.4 |
| Yellow Squash | 1.3 | 20 | 25.6% | 6.4 |
| Eggplant | 0.8 | 21 | 15.8% | 4.0 |
| Lemon (each) |
1.3 | 22 | 23.6% | 5.9 |
| Cabbage | 1.1 | 22 | 20.7% | 5.2 |
| Cauliflower | 2.1 | 25 | 32.8% | 8.2 |
| Broccoli | 2.6 | 31 | 33.2% | 8.3 |
| Tomatoes | 1.5 | 32 | 18.8% | 4.7 |
| Kale | 2.2 | 33 | 26.8% | 6.7 |
| Green Beans | 1.8 | 34 | 21.5% | 5.4 |
| Figs (each) |
0.4 | 37 | 4.3% | 1.1 |
| Brussels Sprouts | 3.0 | 38 | 31.6% | 7.9 |
| Asparagus | 4.3 | 40 | 43.2% | 10.8 |
| Kiwi (each) |
0.8 | 42 | 7.6% | 1.9 |
| Red Pepper | 1.5 | 46 | 13.0% | 3.3 |
| Watermelon | 0.9 | 46.2 | 7.5% | 1.9 |
| Pumpkin (cooked) |
1.8 | 49 | 14.7% | 3.7 |
| Onion | 1.6 | 49 | 13.1% | 3.3 |
| Strawberries | 1.0 | 49 | 7.8% | 2.0 |
| Carrots | 1.2 | 50 | 9.5% | 2.4 |
| Peach (each) | 1.4 | 59 | 9.2% | 2.3 |
| Cantaloupe | 1.5 | 60 | 9.9% | 2.5 |
| Blackberries | 2.0 | 62 | 12.9% | 3.2 |
| Orange (each) | 1.2 | 62 | 7.9% | 2.0 |
| Artichoke (cooked) | 3.5 | 64 | 21.7% | 5.4 |
| Raspberries | 1.5 | 64 | 9.3% | 2.3 |
| Beet | 2.8 | 74 | 15.1% | 3.8 |
| Cherries | 1.2 | 74 | 6.5% | 1.6 |
| Apricot | 2.3 | 75 | 12.3% | 3.1 |
| Butternut Squash | 1.8 | 82 | 9.0% | 2.2 |
| Grapefruit (each) | 1.6 | 82 | 7.8% | 2.0 |
| Blueberries | 1.1 | 83 | 5.3% | 1.3 |
| Pear (each) | 0.7 | 96 | 2.8% | 0.7 |
| Banana (each) | 1.3 | 105 | 5.0% | 1.2 |
| Grapes | 1.1 | 110 | 4.0% | 1.0 |
| Sweet Potato |
2.0 | 112 | 7.1% | 1.8 |
| Apple (each) | 0.6 | 116 | 2.1% | 0.5 |
| Green Peas | 7.9 | 117 | 27.0% | 6.8 |
| Mango (each) |
1.1 | 145 | 2.9% | 0.7 |
| Quinoa (cooked) |
6.0 | 160 | 15.0% | 3.8 |
| Wild Rice | 7.0 | 165.6 | 16.9% | 4.2 |
| Oatmeal (Steel cut, cooked) | 7.0 | 170 | 16.5% | 4.1 |
| Nutritional Yeast |
25.0 | 180 | 55.6% | 13.9 |
| Cocoa Powder | 17.5 | 191 | 36.6% | 9.2 |
| Cannellini Beans |
12.0 | 200 | 24.0% | 6.0 |
| Brown Rice |
4.5 | 200 | 9.0% | 2.3 |
| Millet (cooked) | 6.1 | 207 | 11.8% | 2.9 |
| Dulse | 16.0 | 208 | 30.8% | 7.7 |
| Kidney Beans |
13.5 | 215 | 25.1% | 6.3 |
| Plantain (each) | 2.3 | 218 | 4.3% | 1.1 |
| Black Beans |
15.2 | 227 | 26.9% | 6.7 |
| Lentils | 18.0 | 230 | 31.3% | 7.8 |
| Chickpeas | 14.5 | 269 | 21.6% | 5.4 |
| Coconut Meat, Fresh | 2.7 | 283 | 3.8% | 1.0 |
| Avocado (each) | 4.0 | 289 | 5.6% | 1.4 |
| Spirulina Powder | 48.6 | 304 | 64.0% | 16.0 |
| Chlorella Powder |
96.0 | 480 | 80.0% | 20.0 |
| Flax Seed Meal |
24.0 | 480 | 20.0% | 5.0 |
| Dates, Medjool |
3.4 | 490 | 2.8% | 0.7 |
| Buckwheat | 22.5 | 583 | 15.4% | 3.9 |
| Miso (Brown Rice) |
24.0 | 596 | 16.1% | 4.0 |
| Macademia Nuts | 12.0 | 600 | 8.0% | 2.0 |
| Forbidden Rice | 18.2 | 606 | 12.0% | 3.0 |
| Hemp Seeds | 40.0 | 672 | 23.8% | 6.0 |
| Maca Root Powder |
48.0 | 720 | 26.7% | 6.7 |
| Cashews | 20.0 | 720 | 11.1% | 2.8 |
| Amaranth | 28.2 | 729 | 15.5% | 3.9 |
| Mesquite Powder |
16.0 | 752 | 8.5% | 2.1 |
| Walnuts | 32.0 | 768 | 16.7% | 4.2 |
| Sunflower Seeds | 28.0 | 800 | 14.0% | 3.5 |
| Pine Nuts |
16.0 | 800 | 8.0% | 2.0 |
| Almonds | 31.0 | 823 | 15.1% | 3.8 |
| Sesame Seeds |
25.5 | 832 | 12.3% | 3.1 |
| Pecans | 12.0 | 840 | 5.7% | 1.4 |
| Chia Seeds | 48.0 | 960 | 20.0% | 5.0 |
| Pumpkin Seeds |
42.7 | 1013 | 16.9% | 4.2 |
| Tahini | 40.0 | 1360 | 11.8% | 2.9 |
| Cashew Butter |
44.8 | 1504 | 11.9% | 3.0 |
| Almond Butter | 64.0 | 1520 | 16.8% | 4.2 |
| Peanut Butter | 56.0 | 1520 | 14.7% | 3.7 |
