What are the best plant-based protein sources?
The most protein-dense plant foods by weight are dry brown lentils at 24.6 grams of protein per 100 grams, dry roasted peanuts at 24.4, dry green split peas at 23.1, peanut butter at 22.2, black beans at 21.6, almonds at 21.2, and dry pinto beans at 21.4. Tofu is the weakest of the well-known options at 10.0 grams per 100 grams.
That surprises people, because tofu is the food with “plant protein” printed on the front of the box and pinto beans are the food in a paper sack on the bottom shelf. The ranking below comes out of our own protein per dollar study, where we priced 49 grocery foods and divided protein by price. If grocery cost is the part nobody bothered to explain, the complete high-protein budget guide shows how these same staples stack up when your checking account gets a vote.
| Plant protein | Protein per 100g | Protein per $1 |
|---|---|---|
| Brown lentils (dry) | 24.6 g | 77.7 g |
| Dry roasted peanuts | 24.4 g | 39.8 g |
| Green split peas (dry) | 23.1 g | 73.9 g |
| Peanut butter | 22.2 g | 50.7 g |
| Black beans (dry) | 21.6 g | 81.0 g |
| Pinto beans (dry) | 21.4 g | 97.9 g |
| Almonds | 21.2 g | 14.8 g |
| Chickpeas (dry) | 20.5 g | 56.7 g |
| Tempeh | 20.3 g | 13.2 g |
| Quinoa (dry) | 14.1 g | 21.5 g |
| Frozen shelled edamame | 11.2 g | 18.0 g |
| Tofu (extra firm) | 10.0 g | 13.6 g |
Source: USDA FoodData Central + single-store prices, July 2026. Full methodology at /methodology/.
How much protein is in beans and lentils?
Dry beans and lentils run 20 to 25 grams of protein per 100 grams before you cook them, which puts them level with almonds and ahead of tempeh. Dry brown lentils lead at 24.6 grams per 100 grams. Canned black beans read lower at 6.0 grams per 100 grams only because roughly two thirds of the can is water.
Lentils are the easy on-ramp because they don’t need soaking. Throw them into soups, use them as a base for tacos, mix them into grain bowls, or stir them into pasta sauce. Canned beans are perfectly fine and save a ton of time; give them a quick rinse to cut the sodium. Cooking from dry on a Sunday will carry you most of the week, and the price gap is real: a $0.88 can of black beans buys 30.1 grams of protein per dollar, while the dry bag buys 81.0. We priced that gap bean by bean in canned versus dry beans. Beans also carry serious fiber, which may help keep you full longer.
Do tofu and tempeh have more protein than beans?
Tempeh roughly ties dry beans at 20.3 grams of protein per 100 grams. Tofu does not come close, at 10.0 grams per 100 grams, less than half of dry lentils. Per dollar the gap is wider still: tofu delivers 13.6 grams per dollar and tempeh 13.2, against 97.9 for dry pinto beans.
None of that makes them bad food. Extra-firm tofu holds up to frying, baking and stir-fries in a way a bean never will, and tempeh has a firmer bite and a nuttier taste. Both are flavor sponges that taste like whatever you cook them in, so try two or three preparations before you decide. Just buy them because you want to eat them, not because you think they’re the protein bargain of the aisle. We ran the head-to-head in tofu vs chicken.
Are nuts and seeds a good source of plant protein?
By weight, yes. Dry roasted peanuts carry 24.4 grams of protein per 100 grams and almonds 21.2, both ahead of dry pinto beans. By price they split hard: peanuts deliver 39.8 grams of protein per dollar and peanut butter 50.7, while almonds manage only 14.8. Sunflower seed kernels land in between at 31.7.
So peanuts are the value pick and almonds are the splurge. We put the two side by side in peanut butter vs almonds. Nuts and seeds are also easy to use badly, since they’re calorie-dense enough that a handful while you cook turns into a meal you didn’t notice eating. Stir them into oatmeal, scatter them on salads, blend them into sauces.
Which whole grains actually add protein?
Grains are a supporting act, not the lead. Dry quinoa carries 14.1 grams of protein per 100 grams and whole wheat flour 13.2, both roughly half of dry lentils. Old-fashioned rolled oats sit at 13.2 as well. Frozen shelled edamame, which is really a bean wearing a snack costume, gives 11.2.
Quinoa gets singled out because it carries all the essential amino acids, and it earns that. It just costs $5.97 for a 2 pound bag, which drags it down to 21.5 grams of protein per dollar against 96.0 for whole wheat flour. Edamame steams from frozen in a couple of minutes and is the single easiest plant protein to put in front of a skeptical kid.
Do you have to combine plant proteins at the same meal?
No. You don’t need to pair rice and beans in the same sitting to build a complete protein. Plant foods vary in their essential amino acid profiles, and MedlinePlus recommends eating a varied mix of beans, lentils, soy foods, nuts, seeds and whole grains across the day rather than engineering each plate.
If you’re wondering what “enough” even means, we broke down how much protein you need per day so you can aim at an actual number instead of a vibe. A normal day might be oatmeal with peanut butter at breakfast, lentil soup or a bean bowl at lunch, and crispy tofu or black bean tacos at dinner. Start with the foods you already know you like and build outward. And when you’re ready to graduate past tacos, these quick black bean burgers that hold their shape put a can of those beans to serious work.
