Protein content
A 1 cup cooked serving of grits contains 4.4 g of protein - a moderate source of protein, about 9% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is more of an energy food than a protein food.
| Serving | 1 cup cooked (257 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 4.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 1.71 g |
| Calories per serving | 182 kcal |
| Protein density | 10% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 9% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Grains |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #171655 |
A typical 1 cup cooked serving of grits contains 4.4 grams of protein (1.71 g per 100 g), which makes it a moderate source of protein. That covers roughly 9% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Only about 10% of the calories in grits come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. It is worth eating for other reasons; the protein it adds to a day is incidental.
Among the 111 grains in the database, grits ranks 49th by protein per serving, and 518th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against barley flour, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (barley flour has 3.9 g per 1/4 cup).
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 257 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Degermed corn, so most of the germ protein is milled out.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #171655 - "Cereals, corn grits, white, regular and quick, enriched, cooked with water, without salt" (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
Grits has 1.71 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup cooked serving (257 g) provides 4.4 g.
No. Grits 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 cooked serving of grits contains 4.4 g of protein, about 9% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Grits is a moderate source of protein, and about 10% of its calories come from protein, which makes it more of an energy food than a protein food. Set against barley flour, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (barley flour has 3.9 g per 1/4 cup).
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