Protein content
A 1 cup cooked serving of medium-grain white rice 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 (186 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 4.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 2.38 g |
| Calories per serving | 242 kcal |
| Protein density | 7% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 9% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Grains |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #168880 |
A typical 1 cup cooked serving of medium-grain white rice contains 4.4 grams of protein (2.38 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 7% of the calories in medium-grain white rice 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, medium-grain white rice 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 186 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #168880 - "Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked" (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
Medium-grain white rice has 2.38 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup cooked serving (186 g) provides 4.4 g.
No. Medium-grain white rice 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 medium-grain white rice contains 4.4 g of protein, about 9% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Medium-grain white rice is a moderate source of protein, and about 7% 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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