Protein content
A 3 oz cooked serving of herring contains 19.6 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 39% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz cooked (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 19.6 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 23 g |
| Calories per serving | 173 kcal |
| Protein density | 45% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 39% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #175117 |
A typical 3 oz cooked serving of herring contains 19.6 grams of protein (23 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 39% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Protein accounts for roughly 45% of the calories in herring, making it very protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Among the 121 seafood in the database, herring ranks 62nd by protein per serving, and 170th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against albacore tuna (canned in water), another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (albacore tuna (canned in water) has 20.1 g per 3 oz drained).
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 #175117 - "Fish, herring, Atlantic, cooked, dry 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
Herring has 23 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 19.6 g.
Yes. Herring 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 3 oz cooked serving of herring contains 19.6 g of protein, about 39% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Herring is a very good source of protein, and about 45% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against albacore tuna (canned in water), another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (albacore tuna (canned in water) has 20.1 g per 3 oz drained).
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