Protein content
A 1 cup cooked serving of polenta contains 2.7 g of protein - only a minor source of protein, about 5% 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 (240 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 2.7 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 1.12 g |
| Calories per serving | 139 kcal |
| Protein density | 8% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 5% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Grains |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #2708374 |
A typical 1 cup cooked serving of polenta contains 2.7 grams of protein (1.12 g per 100 g), which makes it only a minor source of protein. That covers roughly 5% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Only about 8% of the calories in polenta 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, polenta ranks 90th by protein per serving, and 607th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against all-purpose flour, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (all-purpose flour has 3.2 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 240 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Cornmeal cooked in water; corn protein is low in lysine and tryptophan.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #2708374 - "Cornmeal mush, no added fat" (Survey (FNDDS), published 10/31/2024). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Polenta has 1.12 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup cooked serving (240 g) provides 2.7 g.
No. Polenta 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 polenta contains 2.7 g of protein, about 5% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Polenta is only a minor source of protein, and about 8% of its calories come from protein, which makes it more of an energy food than a protein food. Set against all-purpose flour, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (all-purpose flour has 3.2 g per 1/4 cup).
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