Protein content
A 1 fruit serving of lemon contains 0.9 g of protein - only a minor source of protein, about 2% 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 fruit (84 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 0.9 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 1.1 g |
| Calories per serving | 24 kcal |
| Protein density | 15% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 2% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Fruits |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #167746 |
A typical 1 fruit serving of lemon contains 0.9 grams of protein (1.1 g per 100 g), which makes it only a minor source of protein. That covers roughly 2% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Around 15% of the calories in lemon come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
Among the 71 fruits in the database, lemon ranks 46th by protein per serving, and 738th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against applesauce, another fruit entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (applesauce has 0.4 g per 1 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 counted by piece at 84 g. Because pieces vary, the per-100 g figure is the one to use when comparing this against a food measured a different way.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #167746 - "Lemons, raw, without peel" (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
Lemon has 1.1 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 fruit serving (84 g) provides 0.9 g.
No. Lemon 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 fruit serving of lemon contains 0.9 g of protein, about 2% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Lemon is only a minor source of protein, and about 15% of its calories come from protein, which makes it more of an energy food than a protein food. Set against applesauce, another fruit entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (applesauce has 0.4 g per 1 cup).
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