High-protein vegetarian foods

The vegetarian foods that pack the most protein per calorie, for boxers who do not eat meat or fish. Tofu, Quorn, low-fat dairy, beans, lentils and eggs lead. Vegetarian foods (meat and fish excluded by food group and name) ranked by % protein per kcal, the share of a food's energy that comes from protein.

Vegetarian status is classified by food group and name. It is a guide: home-made and processed dishes can contain hidden animal ingredients, so check the label. See our methodology.

#	Food	Group	% Protein/kcal	Protein g/100g	Calories	Vegan
1	Turnip topsboiled in unsalted water	Vegetables	92%	3g	12	Yes
2	Seaweednori, dried, raw	Vegetables	90%	75g	333	Yes
3	CheeseQuark	Milk and milk products	80%	15g	74	No
4	Amaranth leavesraw	Vegetables	79%	4g	19	Yes
5	Rocketraw	Vegetables	79%	4g	19	Yes
6	Quornpieces, as purchased	Vegetables	77%	15g	79	Yes
7	Seakalestem only, boiled in unsalted water	Vegetables	75%	1g	8	Yes
8	Aubergineflesh and skin, roasted in rapeseed oil	Vegetables	73%	2g	11	Yes
9	Watercressraw	Vegetables	73%	2g	11	Yes
10	Lemon peel	Fruit	70%	2g	10	Yes
11	Mushroomswhite, stewed in unsalted water	Vegetables	67%	1g	9	Yes
12	Alfalfa sproutsraw	Vegetables	67%	4g	24	Yes
13	Fromage fraisvirtually fat free, natural	Milk and milk products	63%	8g	49	No
14	Spinachbaby, boiled in unsalted water	Vegetables	62%	3g	21	Yes
15	Pepperscapsicum, chilli, green, raw	Vegetables	59%	3g	22	Yes
16	Gourdkarela, raw	Vegetables	58%	2g	12	Yes
17	Sauerkraut	Vegetables	56%	1g	9	Yes
18	Mushroomdried	Vegetables	55%	51g	369	Yes
19	Asparagussteamed	Vegetables	55%	3g	22	Yes
20	Endiveraw	Vegetables	54%	2g	13	Yes
21	Beanspapri, raw	Vegetables	54%	6g	43	Yes
22	Tempeh	Vegetables	51%	22g	174	Yes
23	Broccoligreen, raw	Vegetables	50%	4g	36	Yes
24	Taro leavesraw	Vegetables	50%	5g	38	Yes
25	Agardried, soaked and drained	Vegetables	50%	0g	2	Yes
26	Artichokeglobe, base of leaves and heart, boiled in unsalted water	Vegetables	50%	3g	26	Yes
27	Rhubarbstems only, raw	Fruit	50%	1g	8	Yes
28	Fenugreek leavesraw	Vegetables	48%	5g	40	Yes
29	Okraboiled in unsalted water	Vegetables	47%	2g	17	Yes
30	Mustard leavesboiled in unsalted water	Vegetables	47%	2g	17	Yes
31	Mustard and cressraw	Vegetables	47%	2g	15	Yes
32	Marrowparwal, raw	Vegetables	47%	2g	15	Yes
33	Peasmange-tout, raw	Vegetables	46%	4g	33	Yes
34	Lettuceaverage, raw	Vegetables	46%	1g	11	Yes
35	Tofusoya bean, steamed	Vegetables	44%	8g	75	Yes
36	Milkskimmed, pasteurised, winter	Milk and milk products	44%	4g	32	No
37	Pak choisteamed	Vegetables	43%	2g	14	Yes
38	Radish leavesraw	Vegetables	42%	4g	33	Yes
39	Rape leavesraw	Vegetables	42%	4g	38	Yes
40	Vegeburgerretail, grilled	Vegetables	41%	17g	169	Yes

Top 40 distinct vegetarian foods by protein per calorie, from 586 vegetarian foods. "Vegan" marks those with no dairy or egg. Use the explorer's Diet filter for vegan and dairy-free views. Satiety is an estimate. It is modelled from the known drivers of fullness (protein, fibre, water, low energy density, low fat), not measured directly.

Common questions

What are the best high-protein vegetarian foods for boxers?

Turnip tops, Seaweed, Cheese, Amaranth leaves lead on protein per calorie. Tofu, Quorn, low-fat dairy, beans, lentils and eggs all give a high share of their calories as protein, which is what matters when you are holding muscle without meat or fish.

How are foods classified as vegetarian here?

By their food group and name: meat and fish groups are excluded, and items whose name flags meat, fish, gelatine and similar are removed. It is a guide, not a guarantee. Home-made and processed dishes can contain hidden animal ingredients, so always check the label.

Can vegetarians get enough protein for boxing?

Yes. Combining sources across the day (for example beans or lentils with grains, plus dairy or eggs if you eat them) covers the amino acids you need. The ranking shows where the protein is most concentrated per calorie.

Diet labels are a guide, classified by food group and name, not a guarantee for processed or home-made dishes. General information for boxers, not medical or dietary advice. Food data from the UK Government CoFID 2021 dataset, used under the Open Government Licence.

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