Protein content
A 1 cup serving of alfalfa sprouts contains 1.3 g of protein - only a minor source of protein, about 3% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.
| Serving | 1 cup (33 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 1.3 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 3.99 g |
| Calories per serving | 8 kcal |
| Protein density | 69% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 3% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Vegetables |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #168384 |
A typical 1 cup serving of alfalfa sprouts contains 1.3 grams of protein (3.99 g per 100 g), which makes it only a minor source of protein. That covers roughly 3% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
About 69% of the calories in alfalfa sprouts come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
Among the 105 vegetables in the database, alfalfa sprouts ranks 72nd by protein per serving, and 706th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against butternut squash, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (butternut squash has 1.8 g per 1 cup cubes baked).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving above is measured by volume at 33 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #168384 - "Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Alfalfa sprouts has 3.99 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup serving (33 g) provides 1.3 g.
No. Alfalfa sprouts is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other protein sources across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids.
A 1 cup serving of alfalfa sprouts contains 1.3 g of protein, about 3% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Alfalfa sprouts is only a minor source of protein, and about 69% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against butternut squash, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (butternut squash has 1.8 g per 1 cup cubes baked).
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