High-Protein Vegetables
What Vegetables Are High in Protein?
Many veggies have more protein than you may think. The vegetables highest in protein include edamame, green peas, spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, asparagus, potatoes, and corn. And while vegetables aren’t protein powerhouses in the same way as meat, eggs, or beans, many can contribute meaningful protein to your diet, especially when you eat them consistently with most of your meals.
The key is knowing which vegetables have the most protein and how to work them into the dinners your family is already making. Let’s dig deeper into high-protein vegetables, how they stack up against each other, and easy ways to include more of them in your meals.
Do vegetables have protein?
They sure do! Some have higher amounts of protein than others, but even the veggies on the lower end still contribute. It adds up even more when you’re eating vegetables across multiple meals.
Here’s a quick look at vegetables that bring more protein to the table:
| Vegetable | Protein (per serving) | Serving Size | Calories | Best for | Easy ways to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edamame | ~9g | ½ cup | ~100 | Snacks, bowls | Steam and serve warm with salt |
| Green peas | ~4g | ½ cup | ~60 | Pasta, sides | Stir into pasta or rice |
| Potatoes | ~4g | 1 medium | ~160 | Filling meals | Top and serve as a base |
| Artichokes | ~4g | 1 medium | ~60 | Appetizers | Steam and serve with dip |
| Spinach | ~3g | 1 cup cooked | ~40 | Breakfast, sautés | Add to eggs or pasta |
| Brussels sprouts | ~3g | 1 cup | ~60 | Roasted sides | Roast until crisp |
| Corn | ~3g | 1 cup | ~140 | Bowls, soups | Add to tacos or chili |
| Broccoli | ~2.5g | 1 cup | ~55 | Sheet-pan dinners | Roast alongside your main |
| Kale | ~2–2.5g | 1 cup cooked | ~35 | Soups, sides | Toss into soups or sauté |
| Asparagus | ~2g | 1 cup | ~40 | Quick sides | Roast or grill |
(Estimates based on USDA FoodData Central.)
Protein-boosted salad kits
We took the protein naturally found in vegetables and kicked it all up a notch.
Check out our new line of Protein Power salads and snacks that squeeze in extra grams of protein into each part of our kits. Naturally protein-laden greens like spinach pair up with dressings made with whey protein, chickpea-flour croutons, extra cheese, and other add-ons like nuts and pepitas. All of these ingredients come together in one salad kit (or snack tray), making it easier to get foods that are both protein-packed and vegetable-packed.
Try our Protein Chopped Salad Kit line-up, featuring: Caesar, Southwest, and Green Goddess.
Which vegetables have the highest protein?
A handful of proud vegetables stand out from the rest: edamame, green peas, spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and corn. These range anywhere from 3 grams to a whopping 18 grams of protein per cup.
Here’s a quick, general cheat sheet:
- Green vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts land on the higher end, with 2-3 grams of protein per cup.
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes (3-7 grams) and corn (3 grams) often carry more protein than you’d expect.
- Edamame and peas sit at the top, but they’re technically legumes.
We’ll talk more about those legumes in a moment…
How much protein is in spinach and kale?
Cooked spinach comes in at about 3 grams per cup, while cooked kale is a little lower, around 2 to 2.5 grams per cup. If you’re choosing which greens to use for your salad, this is a check in the right column for choosing spinach and kale blends.
They’re not huge numbers on their own, but veggies like spinach and kale are easy to layer into meals. An extra handful tossed in eggs, pasta, or even soup can make a difference in the total protein intake of your meals. Again, there is no single veggie you can rely on to boost your protein intake all by itself — it’s more about how all your choices add up together across your meals. Read more about the nutrition in kale and the nutrition in spinach.
Vegetables vs. legumes
Wait, so are legumes vegetables? Similar to how tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, this is where definitions start to blur a bit.
Edamame and green peas are technically legumes, not vegetables. But in everyday cooking, they’re used the same way — tossed into bowls, mixed into pasta, served as sides — so they usually get grouped together and referred to as veggies. We understand. Everyone does it. Consider legumes honorary vegetables, if that helps!
Vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and asparagus contribute smaller amounts of protein, while legumes like peas and edamame contribute more. Both of them can be essential parts of your diet as one big, happy family of foods that grow from the ground.
15 vegetables that can help boost protein in your meals
Here are vegetables with sizable amounts of protein that can fit easily into your everyday meals:
- Edamame (18 grams per cup)
- Green peas (8 grams per cup)
- Spinach (5 grams per cup)
- Kale (4 grams per cup)
- Broccoli (4 grams per cup)
- Brussels sprouts (4 grams per cup)
- Asparagus (4 grams per cup)
- Potatoes (4 grams per medium potato)
- Corn (5 grams per cup)
- Artichokes (4 grams per medium artichoke)
- Mushrooms (3 grams per cup)
- Zucchini (2 grams per cup)
- Cauliflower (2 grams per cup)
- Carrots (1 gram per cup)
- Bell pepper (1 gram per cup)
Easy ways to add protein by working more vegetables into everyday meals
No need for any culinary training or complicated cookbooks. Look at meals you already make during the week and simply add one or two ingredients that fit without changing the rest. These are simple changes you can work into common dishes (plus a few kid-friendly ideas).
Add veggies into common dishes
- Stir peas into pasta, rice bowls, or even mac & cheese
- Toss some broccoli or zucchini in olive oil and put them onto a sheet pan with whatever’s for dinner
- Add spinach into eggs, wraps, soups, or casseroles
Make simple meals a little more complete
- Use potatoes as a base and add toppings like yogurt, cheese, or canned beans
- Make simple rice bowls with some edamame, more vegetables, and a protein
- Add corn into taco bowls, soups, or chili
Keep a few easy options ready
- Use Protein salad kits to create side salads with a boost of protein
- Steam edamame (fresh or frozen) for a quick snack
- Roast a batch of assorted vegetables and use them throughout the week in your dishes
- Keep ready-to-eat vegetables and dip in the fridge for easy grab-and-go snacks
What if your kids aren’t thrilled with the textures of most veggies?
Texture is a common culprit for some kids who aren’t fond of veggies. Here are some easy ideas to make them more appealing:
- Blend spinach and kale into sauces
- Mix chopped mushrooms into ground meat or meatballs
- Roast vegetables until the edges get a little crisp, just like on pizza
For kids, the easiest wins tend to be familiar formats, like pasta, rice bowls, or anything with a dip on the side. A little grated cheese or a favorite sauce goes a long way, too!
Are vegetables enough to meet your protein needs?
On their own, not usually.
Yes, vegetables can definitely help increase the amount of protein in your meals, but it’s best to rely on foods like beans, eggs, dairy, tofu, meat, poultry, or seafood to meet your protein needs. Vegetables work best alongside other protein sources, not in place of them.
Need some new meal ideas? Check out these tasty veggie-based recipes that serve up impressive amounts of protein:
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding
- Zucchini & Chickpea Tabbouleh Baked Salad
- Golden Cauliflower & Couscous Baked Salad
- Spinach Quinoa Salad
- Blue Zones-Inspired Mediterranean Bowl
- Single-Serve Vegetarian Pot Pies
- Roasted Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Soup
- Spiced Cauliflower Tacos
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachios Recipe
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding
It’s all about balance
High-protein vegetables aren’t going to straight up replace foods like black beans, steak, or eggs, but they don’t need to. They can easily add protein across your meals, especially when you keep them on hand and pair them with other staples and dishes you enjoy the most often.
The savvy play is to know which vegetables carry the most protein, keep a few in regular rotation, and combine them with other protein sources for meals that are more satisfying. Peas in pasta, broccoli on a sheet pan with your salmon, edamame in a rice bowl — these are the smart moves that can add extra nutrients to your meals. And once those habits are in place, getting more out of your vegetables will feel like second nature.
