Top 10 Beans and Legumes Highest in Protein

Beans and legumes are an inexpensive and heart-healthy group of foods, which are popular all around the world. In addition to being high in protein, beans and legumes are also good sources of fiber, iron, and potassium.

The current daily value (DV) for protein is 50 grams per day. (1) This is considered to be a healthy target amount for most people. Most beans provide between 29% and 36% of the DV for protein per cup cooked. Boiled soybeans (or edamame) provide a whopping 63% of the DV.

Beans and legumes that are particularly high in protein include soybeans, lentils, white beans, cranberry beans, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, and limas. The list below is ranked by the most protein per cup cooked. This list includes only whole beans and legumes, not products made from these foods. For bean products like tofu and hummus see the extended list of beans and bean products high in protein.

List of High Protein Beans

• 1. Boiled Soybeans (Edamame)+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  31.3g (63% DV)	18.2g (36% DV)	21.2g (42% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Boiled Soybeans (Edamame).(Source)
• 2. Lentils+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  17.9g (36% DV)	9g (18% DV)	15.6g (31% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Lentils (Boiled) (Mature Seeds).(Source)
• 3. Large White Beans+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  17.4g (35% DV)	9.7g (19% DV)	14g (28% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Large White Beans.(Source)
• 4. Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  16.5g (33% DV)	9.3g (19% DV)	13.7g (27% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Cranberry Beans (Roman Beans).(Source)
• 5. Split Peas+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  16.3g (33% DV)	8.3g (17% DV)	14.1g (28% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Split Peas (Boiled) (Mature Seeds).(Source)
• 6. Pinto Beans+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  15.4g (31% DV)	9g (18% DV)	12.6g (25% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Pinto Beans.(Source)
• 7. Kidney Beans+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  15.3g (31% DV)	8.7g (17% DV)	13.7g (27% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Kidney Beans.(Source)
• 8. Black Beans (Frijoles Negros) + Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  15.2g (30% DV)	8.9g (18% DV)	13.4g (27% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Black Beans.(Source)
• 9. Navy (Haricot) Beans+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  15g (30% DV)	8.2g (16% DV)	11.8g (24% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Cooked Navy Beans.(Source)
• 10. Lima (Butter) Beans+ Add

  Protein per Cup	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
  14.7g (29% DV)	7.8g (16% DV)	13.6g (27% DV)

  Nutrition Facts for Lima Beans.(Source)

Printable One Page Sheet

Click to Print

More Bean and Bean Products High in Protein

Food	Serving	Protein
1. Firm Tofu+	per cup	87% DV (43.5g)
2. Tempeh+	per cup	67% DV (33.7g)
3. Lupin Beans+	1 cup	52% DV (25.8g)
4. Adzuki Beans+	per cup	35% DV (17.3g)
5. Great Northern Beans+	per cup	29% DV (14.7g)
6. Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)+	per cup	29% DV (14.5g)
7. Mung Beans+	per cup	28% DV (14.2g)
8. Unsweetened Soymilk+	per 16oz glass	28% DV (14g)
9. Mungo Beans+	1 cup	27% DV (13.6g)
10. Broad Beans (Fava)+	per cup	26% DV (12.9g)
11. Peanut Butter+	per 2 tblsp	14% DV (7.1g)
12. Peanuts (Dry Roasted)+	per oz	14% DV (6.9g)
13. Falafel+	1 falafel	5% DV (2.3g)
14. Miso Paste+	1 tblsp	4% DV (2.2g)
15. Hummus+	1 tblsp	2% DV (1.2g)

From the Nutrient Ranking Tool

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.

• Foods High in Protein
• Foods Low in Protein
• Vegetables High in Protein
• Fruits High in Protein
• Vegetarian Foods High in Protein
• Nuts High in Protein
• Grains High in Protein
• Beans High in Protein
• Dairy High in Protein
• Breakfast Cereals High in Protein
• Fast Foods High in Protein

View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Related

• Grains High in Protein
• Nuts High in Protein
• High Protein Foods
• Vegetables Highest in Protein
• Fruits Highest in Protein
• Vegetarian Sources of Protein
• Vegan Weight Gain Foods
• Amino Acid Protein Calculator

Data Sources and References

1. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
2. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central