Protein content
A 3 oz drained serving of light tuna (canned in oil) contains 24.7 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 49% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 3 oz drained (85 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 24.7 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 29.1 g |
| Calories per serving | 168 kcal |
| Protein density | 59% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 49% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #173708 |
A typical 3 oz drained serving of light tuna (canned in oil) contains 24.7 grams of protein (29.1 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 49% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 59% of the calories in light tuna (canned in oil) come from protein, which makes it very 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, light tuna (canned in oil) ranks 10th by protein per serving, and 49th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against yellowtail (hamachi), another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (yellowtail (hamachi) has 25.2 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 #173708 - "Fish, tuna, light, canned in oil, drained solids" (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
Light tuna (canned in oil) has 29.1 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz drained serving (85 g) provides 24.7 g.
Yes. Light tuna (canned in oil) 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 drained serving of light tuna (canned in oil) contains 24.7 g of protein, about 49% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Light tuna (canned in oil) is a very good source of protein, and about 59% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against yellowtail (hamachi), another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (yellowtail (hamachi) has 25.2 g per 3 oz cooked).
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