NutriScrolls

Foods Low in Protein

Lowest in protein: Honey (0.06 g in 1 tbsp), then Red wine (0.1 g in 5 fl oz). All 120 foods ranked from the lowest, per serving and per 100 g.

By · Updated · 8 sources

Researched and written with Claude, an AI by Anthropic. Every study is checked against PubMed.

Editorial policy · How we use data

Foods low in protein

Per serving, lowest first. Bars show the share of the Daily Value (50 g a day).

Per 100 g, lowest first. Bars show the share of the Daily Value (50 g a day).

Per serving, lowest first. Bars show the share of the EU Reference Intake (50 g a day).

Per 100 g, lowest first. Bars show the share of the EU Reference Intake (50 g a day).

Per 100 kcal: the same calories of each food, for a fair comparison. Bars compare each food with the highest food in this ranking.

Only foods with a measured value are ranked. Herbs and spices are left out: by the teaspoon they are low in almost everything. Servings differ in size, so a food can rank low per serving and high per 100 g. Check both.

  1. 1.HoneyMisc · per 1 tbsp (21 g)0.06 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  2. 2.Red wineBeverages · per 5 fl oz (147 g)0.1 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  3. 3.OlivesFruits · per 5 large olives (22 g)0.18 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  4. 4.CeleryVegetables · per 1 stalk (40 g)0.28 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  5. 5.CoffeeBeverages · per 1 cup (237 g)0.28 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  6. 6.CranberriesFruits · per 1 cup (100 g)0.46 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  7. 7.ChestnutsNuts and Seeds · per 1 oz (28 g)0.46 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  8. 8.ApplesFruits · per 1 medium (182 g)0.47 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  9. 9.ArugulaVegetables · per 1 cup (20 g)0.52 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  10. 10.Green teaBeverages · per 1 cup (245 g)0.54 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  11. 11.CarrotsVegetables · per 1 medium (61 g)0.57 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  12. 12.KaleVegetables · per 1 cup (21 g)0.61 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  13. 13.EndiveVegetables · per 1 cup (50 g)0.63 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  14. 14.LemonsFruits · per 1 fruit (58 g)0.64 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  15. 15.PearsFruits · per 1 medium (178 g)0.64 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  16. 16.Iceberg lettuceVegetables · per 1 cup (72 g)0.65 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  17. 17.CucumbersVegetables · per 1 cup (104 g)0.68 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  18. 18.PapayaFruits · per 1 cup (145 g)0.68 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  19. 19.FigsFruits · per 2 medium figs (100 g)0.75 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  20. 20.KiwifruitFruits · per 1 fruit (69 g)0.79 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  21. 21.RadishesVegetables · per 1 cup (116 g)0.79 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  22. 22.EggplantVegetables · per 1 cup (82 g)0.8 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  23. 23.GrapefruitFruits · per ½ medium (128 g)0.81 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  24. 24.SpinachVegetables · per 1 cup (30 g)0.86 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  25. 25.DatesFruits · per 2 dates (48 g)0.87 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  1. 1.Red wineBeverages0.07 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  2. 2.CoffeeBeverages0.12 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  3. 3.Green teaBeverages0.22 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  4. 4.ApplesFruits0.26 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  5. 5.HoneyMisc0.3 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  6. 6.PearsFruits0.36 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  7. 7.BeerBeverages0.46 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  8. 8.CranberriesFruits0.46 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  9. 9.PapayaFruits0.47 g<1% of the Daily Value<1% of the Reference Intake
  10. 10.PineappleFruits0.54 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  11. 11.WatermelonFruits0.61 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  12. 12.GrapefruitFruits0.63 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  13. 13.CucumbersVegetables0.65 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  14. 14.StrawberriesFruits0.67 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  15. 15.RadishesVegetables0.68 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  16. 16.CeleryVegetables0.69 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  17. 17.PlumsFruits0.7 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  18. 18.GrapesFruits0.72 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  19. 19.BlueberriesFruits0.74 g1% of the Daily Value1% of the Reference Intake
  20. 20.FigsFruits0.75 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  21. 21.MangoFruits0.82 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  22. 22.CantaloupeFruits0.84 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  23. 23.OlivesFruits0.84 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  24. 24.TomatoesVegetables0.88 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  25. 25.Iceberg lettuceVegetables0.9 g2% of the Daily Value2% of the Reference Intake
  1. 1.Red wineBeverages0.08 g
  2. 2.HoneyMisc0.1 g
  3. 3.ApplesFruits0.5 g
  4. 4.PearsFruits0.63 g
  5. 5.DatesFruits0.65 g
  6. 6.OlivesFruits0.72 g
  7. 7.ChestnutsNuts and Seeds0.83 g
  8. 8.CoconutsNuts and Seeds0.94 g
  9. 9.CranberriesFruits1 g
  10. 10.FigsFruits1.01 g
  11. 11.GrapesFruits1.04 g
  12. 12.BeerBeverages1.07 g
  13. 13.PineappleFruits1.08 g
  14. 14.PapayaFruits1.09 g
  15. 15.Macadamia nutsNuts and Seeds1.1 g
  16. 16.BananasFruits1.22 g
  17. 17.AvocadosFruits1.25 g
  18. 18.BlueberriesFruits1.3 g
  19. 19.PecansNuts and Seeds1.33 g
  20. 20.MangoFruits1.37 g
  21. 21.PlumsFruits1.52 g
  22. 22.AcornsNuts and Seeds1.59 g
  23. 23.CherriesFruits1.68 g
  24. 24.Sweet potatoesVegetables1.8 g
  25. 25.White riceGrains1.84 g

Foods high in protein

Who needs to limit protein?

Some people with chronic kidney disease who are not on dialysis are advised to limit protein, says the National Kidney Foundation. People on dialysis usually need more. The right amount depends on your body size and the state of your kidneys, so follow the amounts your own care team gives you.

People with phenylketonuria (PKU) follow a diet low in phenylalanine, a building block of protein, for life. They avoid many high-protein foods, says the US child health institute NICHD.

Sources

  1. National Kidney Foundation. CKD Diet: How much protein is the right amount? Accessed 11 Nov 2026. https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/ckd-diet-how-much-protein-right-amount
  2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Healthy Eating for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease. Reviewed Jan 2025. Accessed 11 Nov 2026. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/eating-nutrition
  3. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. What are common treatments for phenylketonuria (PKU)? Reviewed 16 Jan 2024. Accessed 11 Nov 2026. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pku/conditioninfo/treatments