Vegan Protein Per Serving

Most protein in a normal portion

These ten foods give the most protein in one typical serving:

1. Soybeans, 1 cup: 31.3 g protein, 296 kcal
2. Seitan, 3 oz (85 g): 26.9 g protein, 134 kcal
3. Pea protein powder, 1 scoop (33 g): 24 g protein, 120 kcal
4. Vital wheat gluten, 30 g: 22.6 g protein, 111 kcal
5. Edamame, 1 cup: 18.4 g protein, 188 kcal
6. Lentils, 1 cup: 17.8 g protein, 230 kcal
7. Firm tofu, 100 g slab: 17.3 g protein, 144 kcal
8. Tempeh, 3 oz (85 g): 17.3 g protein, 163 kcal
9. Split peas, 1 cup: 16.3 g protein, 231 kcal
10. Soy chunks / TVP, 30 g dry: 15.6 g protein, 104 kcal

Why per-serving numbers matter

Per-100 g figures are fair for comparing foods, but nobody eats 100 g of hemp seeds or nutritional yeast in one sitting. Per-serving numbers tell you what a food really contributes to your day.

This changes the ranking. Pumpkin seeds rank high per 100 g, but a 1 oz handful gives a moderate amount. A cup of cooked lentils looks modest per 100 g, yet a full cup gives about 18 g and ranks 6 of 34 per serving, because you eat a lot of it.

How to measure your own portions

• Weigh cooked beans, lentils and grains after cooking, since that is how the table measures them.
• Weigh nuts, seeds and tofu as they come out of the package.
• Weigh dry items, such as soy chunks and oats, before you cook or soak them. These rows are marked dry weight.
• A small kitchen scale makes this quick. Measuring cups work too, but packed versus loose cups vary.

Putting portions together

Set your daily target with the calculator above the table, then add up servings. For example, a cup of lentils at lunch, a slab of tofu at dinner and a handful of pumpkin seeds as a snack already gives about 43 g of protein.