Protein content
A 1 cup chopped serving of watercress contains 0.8 g of protein - only a minor source of protein, about 2% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.
| Serving | 1 cup chopped (34 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 0.8 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 2.3 g |
| Calories per serving | 4 kcal |
| Protein density | 84% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 2% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Vegetables |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #170068 |
A typical 1 cup chopped serving of watercress contains 0.8 grams of protein (2.3 g per 100 g), which makes it only a minor source of protein. That covers roughly 2% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
About 84% of the calories in watercress 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 105 vegetables in the database, watercress ranks 84th by protein per serving, and 752nd out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against alfalfa sprouts, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (alfalfa sprouts has 1.3 g per 1 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 34 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Protein-dense for a leaf, but a cup of it weighs very little, so a serving contributes little overall.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #170068 - "Watercress, raw" (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
Watercress has 2.3 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup chopped serving (34 g) provides 0.8 g.
No. Watercress 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 chopped serving of watercress contains 0.8 g of protein, about 2% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Watercress is only a minor source of protein, and about 84% of its calories come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense. Set against alfalfa sprouts, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (alfalfa sprouts has 1.3 g per 1 cup).
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