Protein content
A 1/2 cup serving of tuna salad contains 16.4 g of protein - a very good source of protein, about 33% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Serving | 1/2 cup (102.5 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 16.4 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 16 g |
| Calories per serving | 192 kcal |
| Protein density | 34% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 33% |
| Protein quality | Complete protein |
| Category | Seafood |
| Food type | Prepared / processed |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #175160 |
A typical 1/2 cup serving of tuna salad contains 16.4 grams of protein (16 g per 100 g), which makes it a very good source of protein. That covers roughly 33% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it can anchor a high-protein meal for the day.
Protein accounts for roughly 34% of the calories in tuna salad, making it moderately protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Among the 121 seafood in the database, tuna salad ranks 86th by protein per serving, and 215th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against monkfish, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g more protein (monkfish has 15.8 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 volume at 102.5 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Mayonnaise adds fat, so protein per calorie is much lower than plain drained tuna.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #175160 - "Fish, tuna salad" (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
Tuna salad has 16 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1/2 cup serving (102.5 g) provides 16.4 g.
Yes. Tuna salad 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 1/2 cup serving of tuna salad contains 16.4 g of protein, about 33% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Tuna salad is a very good source of protein, and about 34% of its calories come from protein, which makes it moderately protein-dense. Set against monkfish, another seafood entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g more protein (monkfish has 15.8 g per 3 oz cooked).
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