Most vegetables contain between 1 and 5 grams of protein per 100-gram serving, which is modest compared to meat or legumes but adds up meaningfully over the course of a day. A few standouts, like soybean sprouts and lima beans, push well above that range. Understanding which vegetables pack the most protein, and how your body actually uses it, helps you build meals that hit your nutrition targets whether you eat meat or not.
Vegetables With the Most Protein
Not all vegetables are created equal when it comes to protein. The range is surprisingly wide. Here are the top performers per 100 grams (about two-thirds of a cup for most cooked vegetables):
- Soybean sprouts: 13.1 g
- Lima beans: 6.8 g
- Green peas: 5.4 g
- Mushrooms: 3.6 g
- Sweet corn: 3.3 g
- Artichokes: 3.3 g
- Spinach: 3.0 g
- Brussels sprouts: 2.6 g
- Broccoli: 2.4 g
- Asparagus: 2.4 g
Soybean sprouts are the clear winner, with more than double the protein of any other vegetable on the list. Green peas and lima beans also stand out because they straddle the line between vegetables and legumes, giving them a protein advantage over leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. At the lower end, broccoli and asparagus still contribute a couple of grams per serving, which matters when you’re eating several cups of vegetables a day.
How Legumes Compare
If you’re searching for protein in vegetables, you’ll quickly notice that legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) occupy a tier of their own. Boiled pulses average about 8.2 grams of protein per 100 grams, roughly three to four times what you’d get from broccoli or spinach. The top performers in this category, per 100 grams cooked:
- Soybeans: 10.6 g
- Green/brown lentils: 8.8 g
- Yellow split peas: 8.4 g
- Red kidney beans: 8.3 g
- Chickpeas: 7.6 g
Legumes contain roughly 21 to 25 percent protein by dry weight, nearly double what grains offer. That makes them the foundation of protein intake in most plant-based diets. If you’re relying on vegetables alone without legumes, reaching your daily protein target takes considerably more planning and volume on your plate.
Protein Quality Varies by Vegetable
Grams of protein tell only part of the story. Your body needs nine essential amino acids from food, and not every plant source provides all of them in useful amounts. Spinach and broccoli both contain all nine essential amino acids, making them complete protein sources. That’s unusual for vegetables, though the total amount per serving is still low.
The bigger issue is how efficiently your body digests and absorbs plant protein. Scientists measure this with a score called DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score). Dairy proteins like whey score above 100, qualifying as “excellent” quality. Soy protein isolate and soy flour score in the “good” range, between 75 and 100. Pea protein concentrate scores considerably lower. Whole vegetables like raw spinach or broccoli haven’t been formally scored in most studies, but they generally fall below concentrated protein sources because their fiber and cell structure slow digestion.
What this means in practice: you may need to eat somewhat more plant protein than the label suggests to get the same benefit your body would extract from an egg or piece of chicken. Combining different vegetables and legumes throughout the day helps cover any amino acid gaps, since the amino acids that one food lacks, another typically provides.
How Much Protein You Actually Need
The standard recommendation for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 70 kg (154 lb) person, that works out to 56 grams. Adults over 65 need more, around 1.2 grams per kilogram, and older adults who strength train regularly should aim for about 1.4 grams per kilogram.
Meeting those targets on a plant-based diet is possible but requires deliberate choices. If you ate only broccoli for your protein (which nobody would), you’d need over 2.3 kilograms of it to hit 56 grams. That’s clearly not realistic. But a more practical day might include a cup of lentils (about 18 g), a cup of green peas (about 9 g), a cup of spinach (about 5 g), plus tofu or tempeh, nuts, seeds, and grains, all of which contribute protein. Those amounts stack up quickly when you’re eating a variety of whole foods.
Getting the Most From Vegetable Protein
A few strategies make a real difference if vegetables and plant foods are your primary protein sources. First, pair legumes with vegetables at most meals. A bowl of lentil soup with spinach or a chickpea stir-fry with broccoli gives you both volume and protein density. Second, spread your protein across meals rather than loading it all into dinner. Your body uses protein more efficiently in moderate doses throughout the day.
Cooking also matters. Lightly cooking spinach, broccoli, and other vegetables breaks down some of the plant cell walls that can hinder protein absorption, making more of the amino acids available. Soaking and cooking dried legumes has a similar effect. Raw vegetables still provide protein, but your body extracts less of it compared to cooked versions.
Finally, don’t overlook the cumulative effect of modest protein sources. A slice of whole-grain bread adds 3 to 4 grams. A handful of almonds adds 6. A cup of quinoa adds 8. None of these are high-protein foods on their own, but across a full day of eating, they combine with your vegetable intake to close the gap. The vegetables with the highest protein, like green peas, lima beans, and soybean sprouts, serve as anchors, and everything else fills in around them.