Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Protein

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Written by Daisy Whitbread, BSc (Hons) MSc DipIONPowered by USDA Nutrition Data
Top 10 Vegetables Highest in Protein

Everything in life needs protein to live, and vegetables can be a great source of protein.

The current daily value (DV) for protein is 50 grams per day and is a target meant for most people. Vegetables high in protein include lima beans, bean sprouts, green peas, spinach, sweet corn, asparagus, artichokes, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and broccoli.

For more vegetarian and vegan sources of protein see the articles on beans and legumes highest in protein, and grains high in protein, and high protein nuts.

You can also see the uncurated list of 200 vegetables high in protein.

High Protein Vegetables List

Lima Beans1 Lima Beans
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
11.6g
(23% DV)		6.8g
(14% DV)		11.1g
(22% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Lima Beans. (Source)
Soybean Sprouts2 Soybean Sprouts
Protein
1 Cup		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
9.2g
(18% DV)		13.1g
(26% DV)		21.5g
(43% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Soybean Sprouts. (Source)
Green Peas3 Green Peas
Protein
1 Cup		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
8.6g
(17% DV)		5.4g
(11% DV)		12.8g
(26% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Peas (Salted). (Source)
A Bowl of Spinach4 Spinach
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
5.3g
(11% DV)		3g
(6% DV)		25.8g
(52% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach. (Source)

More Dark Leafy Greens High in Protein

  • 5g (10% DV) per cup of cooked collard greens
  • 3.5g (7% DV) per cup of cooked mustard greens
  • 3.5g (7% DV) per cup of cooked Swiss chard
  • 2.5g (5% DV) per cup of cooked kale

Note: Cooking reduces the water content of the greens, allowing you to eat more greens and protein per cup.

Yellow Sweet Corn5 Sweet Corn
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
4.7g
(9% DV)		3.3g
(7% DV)		7.6g
(15% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Yellow Sweet Corn. (Source)
Asparagus6 Asparagus
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
4.3g
(9% DV)		2.4g
(5% DV)		21.8g
(44% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Asparagus (Cooked). (Source)
Artichokes7 Artichokes (Globe or French)
Protein
in a Medium Artichoke		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
4.2g
(8% DV)		3.3g
(7% DV)		13.9g
(28% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Artichokes (Globe Or French). (Source)
Brussels Sprouts8 Brussels Sprouts
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
4g
(8% DV)		2.6g
(5% DV)		14.2g
(28% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Brussels Sprouts (Cooked). (Source)
White Button Mushrooms9 Mushrooms
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
3.9g
(8% DV)		3.6g
(7% DV)		27.5g
(55% DV)
Nutrition Facts for White Button Mushrooms (Stir-Fried). (Source)

More Mushrooms High in Protein

  • 4g (8% DV) per cup of cooked portobello
  • 3.5g (7% DV) per cup of cooked shiitake
  • 3g (6% DV) per cup of oyster mushrooms
  • 2g (4% DV) per cup of morels
  • 2g (4% DV) per cup of cremini
  • 1.5g (3% DV) per cup of enokis
Broccoli Stalk10 Broccoli
Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
3.7g
(7% DV)		2.4g
(5% DV)		13.6g
(27% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Broccoli (Cooked). (Source)

See All 200 Vegetables High in Protein

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Printable list of vegetables high in protein.

Less Common Protein Rich Vegetables

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and accounts for absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and is the target on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) - The Reference Dietary Intake (RDI) is a customized target accounting for age and gender. It is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization. The daily value (%DV) builds on the reference dietary intake to create a number for everyone.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.

    • See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

    Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily meal planner.

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

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Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
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