Lightlife Organic Three Grains Tempeh: Nutrition & Labelgrade A- (89/100)
A- 89 / 100 — Strong protein density (19g per 100g), clean ingredient list, very low saturated fat, effectively zero sugar, very low sodium, and substantial fiber.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Lightlife Organic Three Grains Tempeh delivers 16g of protein and nearly 6g of fiber for 170 calories in a 3 oz (84g) serving — five organic ingredients, fermented, with a label you could read aloud start to finish. It’s whole soybeans cultured into a firm cake, with organic barley, brown rice, and millet pressed in. That whole-food base earns a Labelgrade A- (89/100), with perfect marks on sugar and sodium. The single thing keeping it from a straight A is protein density: at 19g per 100g it’s strong for a plant, but a soybean can’t be packed as tightly as muscle, so it can’t out-concentrate a lean meat cut.
Why the A-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | B | 79 / 100 | 19g per 100g — strong for a whole-food plant protein, short of dense meat |
| Ingredient quality | A- | 86 / 100 | Five organic ingredients, fermented, zero additives or isolates |
| Saturated fat | A | 94 / 100 | 1g per serving — naturally lean soy fat |
| Sodium | A+ | 100 / 100 | 10.1mg per serving — essentially unsalted |
| Sugar | A+ | 100 / 100 | 0g — nothing added, nothing hidden |
| Fiber | B+ | 80 / 100 | 5.96g per serving — rare for a high-protein food |
The honest read: this product wins on the things processed plant proteins fail and meat can’t offer. The protein-density “B” isn’t a flaw, it’s physics — soybeans are part fat and fiber, so 19g per 100g is near the ceiling for an unisolated bean. What’s quietly remarkable is the bottom three rows together: 10.1mg of sodium, 0g of sugar, and ~6g of fiber in one food. Almost nothing that hits 16g of protein lands all three.
What fermentation actually buys you
This is the part that separates tempeh from every other soy product. Tofu is made by curdling strained soy milk, which discards the bean’s fiber-rich pulp (the okara). Tempeh does the opposite: it binds the whole soybean with a live culture into a dense cake — nothing strained out. That’s why a serving carries ~6g of fiber and 2.7mg of iron (about 15% of a day’s value, high for a plant food), where the strained-curd route loses most of both.
Fermentation does two more things the label hints at. It breaks down some of soy’s phytic acid, the compound that normally locks up minerals — so the iron in tempeh is more absorbable than the iron in an equivalent serving of unfermented soy. And the culture is what creates the texture and the flavor: it knits beans and grains into a block firm enough to slice clean for the grill or crumble like ground meat, with a savory, faintly mushroom-like taste instead of tofu’s blank slate.
The grains are a real trade-off, not just marketing
“Three grains” is doing honest work here, and it cuts both ways. The barley, brown rice, and millet add whole grains and a softer, less chalky bite than a pure-soy block — but grains are starchier than soybeans, so they nudge two numbers. Protein density drops from the ~20g per 100g of plain tempeh to 19g, and total carbohydrate climbs to 14g per serving (still with 0g sugar — these are slow, whole-grain carbs, ~6g of which is fiber). If your single metric is protein-per-gram, a soy-only block edges this one. If you want the grains in the mix for texture and a fuller plate, that’s exactly the deal you’re making.
The grains carry one hard caveat: barley contains gluten, so this is not gluten-free. Celiac shoppers should reach for a plain soy-only tempeh instead — most of the protein and fiber story survives, minus the grains.
Tempeh vs. tofu vs. the plant-burger aisle
Standing in the refrigerated case, here’s the honest spread against the three products this page is compared with. Against House Foods Organic Tofu, this tempeh wins on protein (19g vs 16.5g per 100g) and fiber (~6g vs ~2g) and is far more filling per ounce — but tofu is lower-calorie and softer if your recipe wants that, and it’s even lower in sodium (0mg vs 10.1mg). Against the Beyond Burger (20g protein, 390mg sodium, 23 ingredients, Labelgrade B-) and the Beyond Brat (16g protein, 500mg sodium, C+), tempeh matches the protein but with a fraction of the sodium — roughly 1/40th of the brat’s — and five clean ingredients against twenty-plus. The plant-meats win only on grill-and-bun convenience and a meatier mouthfeel. That sodium gap is the headline: tempeh is the rare 16g-protein option you season entirely yourself.
Ingredients
Cultured organic soybeans (soybeans, lactic acid from plant sources), water, organic barley, organic brown rice, organic millet. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 1849931. Contains soy and barley/gluten.)
Where to buy
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The Labelgrade score is independent of affiliate relationships. More.
🔬 Compare this product side-by-side with any other →
Quick Facts
Per serving · 3 ONZ
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (3 ONZ) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 170 |
| Protein | 16g |
| Total Fat | 5g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 14g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.96g |
| Total Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 10.1mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 59.6mg |
| Iron | 2.7mg |
| Potassium | 250mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Lightlife, Organic Three Grains Tempeh (8 oz/227 g) · UPC 043454464509. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in Lightlife Organic Three Grains Tempeh?
16 grams per 3 oz (84g) serving, for 170 calories (USDA FDC 1849931). That works out to 19g of protein per 100g, or about 5.4g per ounce. A full 8 oz block holds roughly 43g of protein.
Is tempeh higher in protein than tofu?
Yes. This tempeh runs 19g of protein per 100g; House Foods Organic Tofu, also covered on this site, runs about 16.5g per 100g. Tempeh carries ~6g of fiber per serving where that tofu has ~2g. The reason is structural: tempeh is the whole fermented soybean, while tofu is pressed from strained soy milk, so the bean's fiber and density get left behind in the okara.
Why does adding three grains lower the protein versus plain tempeh?
Plain soy-only tempeh sits near 20g of protein per 100g; the barley, brown rice, and millet here are starchier than soybeans, so they pull the figure down to 19g and push total carbs to 14g per serving. It's a small dilution, and it buys you extra whole grains and a softer, less dense bite. If protein-per-gram is your only metric, a soy-only block edges it; if you want grains in the mix, this is the trade.
Is this tempeh gluten-free?
No. The three grains include organic barley, which contains gluten, so this variant is not suitable for celiac or gluten-free diets. If you need gluten-free tempeh, look for a plain soy-only block instead.
Is tempeh a complete protein?
Yes. Soybeans supply all nine essential amino acids, so tempeh is a complete plant protein on its own — no food-combining required. The added barley, brown rice, and millet round out the texture and flavor without diluting that.
Does fermenting the soybeans actually matter?
It changes three things. Fermentation breaks down some of soy's phytic acid and oligosaccharides, which makes the iron and minerals more available and the beans easier to digest than unfermented soy. It builds the firm, sliceable cake — the live culture (here, lactic acid from plant sources) knits whole beans and grains into one block. And it creates the savory, mushroom-like flavor tofu lacks.
How do you cook it?
Slice or crumble it, then steam, pan-fry, or braise. Tempeh is porous and soaks up marinade well, so 20–30 minutes in a soy-ginger or BBQ marinade pays off. A quick steam before frying mellows any bitter edge. It holds its shape on the grill and crumbles like ground meat for tacos, chili, or stir-fries.
How much sodium and sugar does it have?
Almost none of either: 10.1mg of sodium per serving (about 0% of the 2,300mg daily limit) and 0g of sugar. Both are perfect marks on Labelgrade. Whatever sodium ends up in the dish comes from how you season it, not the tempeh itself.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 1849931. We re-verify top pages monthly and update within 7 days of a reformulation.