A typical 3 oz cooked serving of rainbow smelt contains 19.2 grams of protein (22.6 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 38% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
About 73% of the calories in rainbow smelt come from protein, which makes it extremely 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, rainbow smelt ranks 68th by protein per serving, and 178th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against coho salmon, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.7 g less protein (coho salmon has 19.9 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 #175147 - "Fish, smelt, rainbow, 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
Rainbow smelt protein FAQ
How much protein is in rainbow smelt per 100 g?
Rainbow smelt has 22.6 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 3 oz cooked serving (85 g) provides 19.2 g.
Is rainbow smelt a complete protein?
Yes. Rainbow smelt 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.
How much of the Daily Value does a serving of rainbow smelt cover?
A 3 oz cooked serving of rainbow smelt contains 19.2 g of protein, about 38% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Is rainbow smelt a good source of protein?
Rainbow smelt is a very good source of protein, and about 73% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against coho salmon, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.7 g less protein (coho salmon has 19.9 g per 3 oz cooked).