Protein Duel › Protein chart › High-protein grains and bread
Which grains have the most protein?
27 grains and bread ranked from most to least protein per 100 g, with how much you get in a typical serving.
Quick facts
- 25 gMost protein: seitan.
- 23 gRunner-up: wheat germ.
- 2.3 gLeast protein: barley.
Good to know
Seitan is made from wheat gluten, the protein part of wheat flour, which gives it a meaty texture and a high protein content.
Grains have modest protein per 100 g, especially once cooked and swollen with water, but it adds up because we eat them in large amounts.
Bread gets its protein from wheat flour; denser wholegrain and rye loaves usually carry a bit more than white bread.
Pseudo-grains are seeds eaten like grains. Quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth are among the few plant foods with a complete amino-acid profile.
Ranked by protein per 100 g
| # | Food | Protein / 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seitan1 portion: 25 g | 25 g |
| 2 | Wheat germ2 tbsp: 3.5 g | 23 g |
| 3 | Oats (dry)1 bowl of porridge: 5.2 g | 13 g |
| 4 | Popcorn1 bowl, popped: 3.3 g | 13 g |
| 5 | Whole wheat bread1 slice: 4.2 g | 13 g |
| 6 | Bagel1 bagel: 10 g | 10 g |
| 7 | White bread1 slice: 2.7 g | 9 g |
| 8 | Flour tortilla1 tortilla: 4.2 g | 8.3 g |
| 9 | Croissant1 croissant: 4.9 g | 8.2 g |
| 10 | Rice cakes1 rice cake: 0.7 g | 8.2 g |
| 11 | Rye bread1 slice: 2.6 g | 8 g |
| 12 | Cornflakes1 bowl: 2.3 g | 7.5 g |
| 13 | Whole wheat pasta (cooked)1 cup: 8.4 g | 6 g |
| 14 | Pasta (cooked)1 cup: 8.1 g | 5.8 g |
| 15 | Corn tortilla1 tortilla: 1.4 g | 5.7 g |
| 16 | Spelt (cooked)1 cup: 10.7 g | 5.5 g |
| 17 | Egg noodles (cooked)1 cup: 7.2 g | 4.5 g |
| 18 | Quinoa (cooked)1 cup: 8.1 g | 4.4 g |
| 19 | Wild rice (cooked)1 cup: 6.6 g | 4 g |
| 20 | Amaranth (cooked)1 cup: 9.3 g | 3.8 g |
| 21 | Couscous (cooked)1 cup: 6.1 g | 3.8 g |
| 22 | Millet (cooked)1 cup: 6.1 g | 3.5 g |
| 23 | Buckwheat (cooked)1 cup: 5.8 g | 3.4 g |
| 24 | Bulgur (cooked)1 cup: 5.6 g | 3.1 g |
| 25 | Rice (cooked)1 cup: 4.3 g | 2.7 g |
| 26 | Brown rice (cooked)1 cup: 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| 27 | Barley (cooked)1 cup: 3.7 g | 2.3 g |
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FAQ
Which grains have the most protein?
Per 100 g, the top grains and bread on our chart are seitan (25 g), wheat germ (23 g), oats (dry) (13 g).
Which grains and bread have the least protein?
Barley has the least here, with 2.3 g per 100 g.
How many grains and bread are on this list?
27, all ranked by grams of protein per 100 g, with a typical serving for each.
Know your grains and bread? Two foods, one guess: higher or lower.
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