Top 10 Grains Highest in Protein

Photo of Daisy Whitbread Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION
Photo of Dr. Patricia Shelton Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Patricia Shelton
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Top 10 Grains Highest in Protein

Grains are a staple source of calories, carbohydrates, B-vitamins, and protein. Whole unrefined grains provide more protein for each carb than refined grains do. This is because the bran and germ of grains contain the most protein, and these parts of the grain are removed during the refinement process.

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.

Grains high in protein include cornmeal, kamut (wheat berries), teff, quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, wild rice, millet, couscous, oatmeal, and buckwheat. One cup of cooked whole grains provides between 6 and 20% of the DV for protein.

For more grains high in protein, see the extended list of protein rich grains, and complete vegetarian protein foods.

List of High Protein Grains

Kamut1 Kamut (Khorasan - Wheat)
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
9.8g
(20% DV)
5.7g
(11% DV)
8.7g
(17% DV)
Teff2 Teff
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
9.8g
(20% DV)
3.9g
(8% DV)
7.7g
(15% DV)
A bowl of quinoa3 Quinoa
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
8.1g
(16% DV)
4.4g
(9% DV)
7.3g
(15% DV)
Whole Wheat Spaghetti4 Whole Wheat Pasta
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
7g
(14% DV)
6g
(12% DV)
8g
(16% DV)
Wild Rice5 Wild Rice
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
6.5g
(13% DV)
4g
(8% DV)
7.9g
(16% DV)
Millet6 Millet
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
6.1g
(12% DV)
3.5g
(7% DV)
5.9g
(12% DV)
Couscous7 Coucous
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
6g
(12% DV)
3.8g
(8% DV)
6.8g
(14% DV)
A bowl of oatmeal with blueberries8 Oatmeal
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
5.9g
(12% DV)
2.5g
(5% DV)
7.2g
(14% DV)
Buckwheat9 Buckwheat
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
5.7g
(11% DV)
3.4g
(7% DV)
7.3g
(15% DV)
Cornmeal10 Cornmeal (Grits)
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
4.4g
(9% DV)
1.7g
(3% DV)
4.8g
(10% DV)

Printable One Page Sheet

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Printable list of grains high in protein.

More Protein Rich Grains

FoodServingProtein
1 Spelt1 cup21% DV
(10.7g)
2 Amaranth1 cup19% DV
(9.3g)
3 Oat Bran1 cup14% DV
(7g)
4 Soba Noodles1 cup12% DV
(5.8g)
5 Bulgur1 cup11% DV
(5.6g)
6 Brown Rice1 cup11% DV
(5.5g)
7 White Rice1 cup9% DV
(4.6g)
8 Pearled Barley1 cup7% DV
(3.5g)

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 daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that's found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It's more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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


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

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
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