How much protein is in broccoli?
Broccoli has 3.7 g of protein per 1 cup chopped (156 g) — that's 2.4 g per 100 g, or about 0.7 g per ounce. One 1 cup chopped is roughly 7% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · cooked, boiled · FDC 169967
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup chopped (156 g) | 3.7 g | 55 | 0.6 g | 11.2 g |
| 100 g | 2.4 g | 35 | 0.4 g | 7.2 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 0.7 g | 10 | 0.1 g | 2 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 169967, SR Legacy). cooked, boiled.
Broccoli is the rare vegetable where “protein in X” has a half-interesting answer. A realistic serving — 1 cup of chopped cooked broccoli (156 g) — carries about 3.7 g of protein for only 55 calories, which is 2.4 g per 100 g. That’s genuinely high for a vegetable; most leafy greens and watery veg come in well under that. But here’s the honest catch that the impressive-for-a-vegetable framing hides: 3.7 g is still a small number in absolute terms, and broccoli is a vegetable, not a protein source.
Broccoli has more protein than most vegetables — but it’s still a vegetable
Give broccoli its due: at 2.4 g per 100 g it out-protein-s the large majority of vegetables, and because it’s so low in calories, that protein comes essentially for free. The trouble is scale. To reach the protein in a single chicken breast you’d have to eat roughly four to five cups of broccoli — a comically large pile of vegetable, and far more than anyone eats at a meal. So the accurate way to hold it is: broccoli is a high-protein vegetable, not a high-protein food. The protein is a real bonus on top of an already excellent vegetable, but you can’t anchor a meal on it.
There’s a quality footnote worth knowing, too. Unusually for a plant, broccoli’s protein is broadly complete — it contains all nine essential amino acids. That’s a fun fact more than a practical one: the amino-acid profile is fine, but the few-grams-per-cup quantity is the binding constraint, not quality.
What broccoli is genuinely great at
Set the protein aside and broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense things you can put on a plate. A cup delivers most of a day’s vitamin C and vitamin K, about 5 g of fiber, plus folate and sulforaphane — a compound studied for its health effects — all for around 55 calories. That’s the real reason to eat it.
The smart play is to treat broccoli as the perfect sidekick to a lean protein rather than the protein itself. Pile a cup or two next to a chicken breast, salmon fillet, or a scoop of edamame; roast it alongside eggs; or bulk out a stir-fry where the meat or tofu carries the protein and the broccoli carries the fiber and vitamins. For a fellow nutrient-dense green see our page on spinach, and to figure out the daily protein number your sides are supporting, see our guide on how much protein per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in broccoli?
About 3.7 g of protein in a 1 cup chopped cooked serving (156 g), which is 2.4 g per 100 g (USDA FDC 169967). That cup is only about 55 calories, so broccoli is unusually protein-dense for a vegetable — but the absolute amount is still small next to any real protein food.
Is broccoli a good source of protein?
It's high for a vegetable, but not a protein source in the way meat, dairy, or beans are. A cup gives you about 3.7 g — more than most veg — yet you'd need roughly four to five cups to match a single chicken breast. Broccoli's job is fiber, vitamins, and volume; treat the protein as a welcome bonus, not the main event.
How much protein is in a cup of broccoli?
A 1 cup chopped cooked serving (156 g) has about 3.7 g of protein for roughly 55 calories. Raw florets weigh less per cup, so a cup of raw broccoli lands a bit lower; cooked, chopped broccoli packs more into the same cup.
Is broccoli a complete protein?
Broadly, yes — broccoli contains all nine essential amino acids, which is unusual for a vegetable. The catch is quantity, not quality: even though the amino-acid profile is complete, the total is only a few grams per cup, so it can't anchor a meal the way a complete protein food does.
What is broccoli actually good for nutritionally?
Vitamin C and vitamin K (a cup covers most of a day's needs for both), fiber (about 5 g per cup), folate, and sulforaphane, a compound studied for its health effects — all for around 55 calories. Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense things you can put on a plate, and it pairs perfectly with a lean protein.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 169967 (Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises its underlying data.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.