Top 10 Beans and Legumes Highest in Protein

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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

Soy Beans1 Boiled Soybeans (Edamame)
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
31.3g
(63% DV)
18.2g
(36% DV)
21.2g
(42% DV)
Lentils2 Lentils
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
17.9g
(36% DV)
9g
(18% DV)
15.6g
(31% DV)
White Beans3 Large White Beans
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
17.4g
(35% DV)
9.7g
(19% DV)
14g
(28% DV)
Cranberry Beans4 Cranberry (Borlotti) Beans
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
16.5g
(33% DV)
9.3g
(19% DV)
13.7g
(27% DV)
Split Peas5 Split Peas
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
16.3g
(33% DV)
8.3g
(17% DV)
14.1g
(28% DV)
Pinto Beans6 Pinto Beans
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
15.4g
(31% DV)
9g
(18% DV)
12.6g
(25% DV)
Kidney Beans7 Kidney Beans
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
15.3g
(31% DV)
8.7g
(17% DV)
13.7g
(27% DV)
Black Beans8 Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
15.2g
(30% DV)
8.9g
(18% DV)
13.4g
(27% DV)
Navy Beans9 Navy (Haricot) Beans
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
15g
(30% DV)
8.2g
(16% DV)
11.8g
(24% DV)
Lima Beans10 Lima (Butter) Beans
Protein
per Cup
Protein
per 100g
Protein
per 200 Calories
14.7g
(29% DV)
7.8g
(16% DV)
13.6g
(27% DV)

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A one-page printable list of beans high in protein.

More Bean and Bean Products High in Protein

FoodServingProtein
1 Firm Tofuper cup87% DV
(43.5g)
2 Tempehper cup67% DV
(33.7g)
3 Lupin Beans1 cup52% DV
(25.8g)
4 Adzuki Beansper cup35% DV
(17.3g)
5 Great Northern Beansper cup29% DV
(14.7g)
6 Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)per cup29% DV
(14.5g)
7 Mung Beansper cup28% DV
(14.2g)
8 Unsweetened Soymilkper 16oz glass28% DV
(14g)
9 Mungo Beans1 cup27% DV
(13.6g)
10 Broad Beans (Fava)per cup26% DV
(12.9g)
11 Peanut Butterper 2 tblsp14% DV
(7.1g)
12 Peanuts (Dry Roasted)per oz14% DV
(6.9g)
13 Falafel1 falafel5% DV
(2.3g)
14 Miso Paste1 tblsp4% DV
(2.2g)
15 Hummus1 tblsp2% DV
(1.2g)

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 Instutites 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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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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