Protein content
A 1 tbsp serving of heavy cream contains 0.4 g of protein - only a minor source of protein, about 1% 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 tbsp (15 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 0.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 2.84 g |
| Calories per serving | 51 kcal |
| Protein density | 3% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 1% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Dairy |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #170859 |
A typical 1 tbsp serving of heavy cream contains 0.4 grams of protein (2.84 g per 100 g), which makes it only a minor source of protein. That covers roughly 1% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Only about 3% of the calories in heavy cream 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 81 dairy foods in the database, heavy cream ranks 79th by protein per serving, and 782nd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against sweet whey powder, another dairy food entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g less protein (sweet whey powder has 1 g per 1 tbsp).
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 volume at 15 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Mostly milk fat, so it contributes very little protein per serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #170859 - "Cream, fluid, heavy whipping" (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
Heavy cream has 2.84 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 tbsp serving (15 g) provides 0.4 g.
Yes. Heavy cream 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.
A 1 tbsp serving of heavy cream contains 0.4 g of protein, about 1% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Heavy cream is only a minor source of protein, and about 3% of its calories come from protein, which makes it more of an energy food than a protein food. Set against sweet whey powder, another dairy food entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g less protein (sweet whey powder has 1 g per 1 tbsp).
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