A typical 3 oz cooked serving of clams contains 21.8 grams of protein (25.6 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 44% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 69% of the calories in clams 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 121 seafood in the database, clams ranks 24th by protein per serving, and 111th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against tilapia, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (tilapia has 22.3 g per 3 oz cooked).
It is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own. The serving above is measured by weight at 85 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #171975 - "Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat" (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
Clams protein FAQ
How much protein is in clams per 100 g?
Clams has 25.6 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 21.8 g.
Is clams a complete protein?
Yes. Clams is a complete protein - it supplies all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts, so it can carry a meal's protein on its own.
How much of the Daily Value does a serving of clams cover?
A 3 oz cooked serving of clams contains 21.8 g of protein, about 44% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Is clams a good source of protein?
Clams is a very good source of protein, and about 69% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against tilapia, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (tilapia has 22.3 g per 3 oz cooked).