Which nuts and seeds have the most protein?
The food highest in protein per 100 g is Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat at 50.1 g, followed by Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) (49.8 g) and Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) (49.1 g). Values are per 100 g of food.
| # | Food | Category | Protein per 100 g (g) | kcal / 100 g | Fiber (g / 100 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat | Nut and Seed Products | 50.1 | 333 | — |
| 2 | Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) | Nut and Seed Products | 49.8 | 332 | — |
| 3 | Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) | Nut and Seed Products | 49.1 | 367 | — |
| 4 | Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted | Nut and Seed Products | 48.1 | 326 | 5.2 |
| 5 | Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless) | Nut and Seed Products | 41.0 | 359 | 3.0 |
| 6 | Seeds, sesame flour, partially defatted | Nut and Seed Products | 40.3 | 382 | — |
| 7 | Seeds, safflower seed meal, partially defatted | Nut and Seed Products | 35.6 | 342 | — |
| 8 | Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless) | Nut and Seed Products | 32.6 | 506 | 5.5 |
| 9 | Seeds, hemp seed, hulled | Nut and Seed Products | 31.6 | 553 | 4.0 |
| 10 | Seeds, sesame flour, high-fat | Nut and Seed Products | 30.8 | 526 | — |
| 11 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried | Nut and Seed Products | 30.2 | 559 | 6.0 |
| 12 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 29.8 | 574 | 6.5 |
| 13 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt | Nut and Seed Products | 29.8 | 574 | 6.5 |
| 14 | Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried | Nut and Seed Products | 28.3 | 557 | — |
| 15 | Nuts, butternuts, dried | Nut and Seed Products | 24.9 | 612 | 4.7 |
| 16 | Nuts, walnuts, black, dried | Nut and Seed Products | 24.1 | 619 | 6.8 |
| 17 | Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, salt added, PLANTERS pistachio blend | Nut and Seed Products | 23.3 | 572 | 8.1 |
| 18 | Nuts, almonds, oil roasted, with salt added, smoke flavor | Nut and Seed Products | 21.4 | 607 | 10.7 |
| 19 | Nuts, almonds, blanched | Nut and Seed Products | 21.4 | 590 | 9.9 |
| 20 | Nuts, almonds, oil roasted, lightly salted | Nut and Seed Products | 21.2 | 607 | 10.5 |
| 21 | Nuts, almonds, oil roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.2 | 607 | 10.5 |
| 22 | Nuts, almonds, oil roasted, without salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.2 | 607 | 10.5 |
| 23 | Nuts, almonds | Nut and Seed Products | 21.1 | 579 | 12.5 |
| 24 | Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.1 | 569 | 10.3 |
| 25 | Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted, without salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.1 | 572 | 10.3 |
| 26 | Nuts, almond butter, plain, without salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.0 | 614 | 10.3 |
| 27 | Nuts, almonds, dry roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.0 | 598 | 10.9 |
| 28 | Nuts, almond butter, plain, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.0 | 614 | 10.3 |
| 29 | Nuts, almonds, dry roasted, without salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 21.0 | 598 | 10.9 |
| 30 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried | Nut and Seed Products | 20.8 | 584 | 8.6 |
| 31 | Seeds, sesame seed kernels, dried (decorticated) | Nut and Seed Products | 20.4 | 631 | 11.6 |
| 32 | Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw | Nut and Seed Products | 20.2 | 560 | 10.6 |
| 33 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, oil roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 20.1 | 592 | 10.6 |
| 34 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, oil roasted, without salt | Nut and Seed Products | 20.1 | 592 | 10.6 |
| 35 | Nuts, mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 20.0 | 607 | 7.0 |
| 36 | Nuts, mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts, lightly salted | Nut and Seed Products | 20.0 | 607 | 7.0 |
| 37 | Nuts, mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts, without salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 20.0 | 607 | 7.0 |
| 38 | Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, without salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 19.5 | 607 | 6.4 |
| 39 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels from shell, dry roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 19.3 | 546 | 9.0 |
| 40 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 19.3 | 582 | 9.0 |
| 41 | Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted, without salt | Nut and Seed Products | 19.3 | 582 | 11.1 |
| 42 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seeds, whole, roasted, with salt added | Nut and Seed Products | 18.6 | 446 | 18.4 |
| 43 | Seeds, pumpkin and squash seeds, whole, roasted, without salt | Nut and Seed Products | 18.6 | 446 | 18.4 |
| 44 | Seeds, flaxseed | Nut and Seed Products | 18.3 | 534 | 27.3 |
| 45 | Nuts, cashew nuts, raw | Nut and Seed Products | 18.2 | 553 | 3.3 |
| 46 | Nuts, almonds, honey roasted, unblanched | Nut and Seed Products | 18.2 | 594 | 13.7 |
| 47 | Seeds, sesame butter, paste | Nut and Seed Products | 18.1 | 586 | 5.5 |
| 48 | Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, salt added, CHOSEN ROASTER | Nut and Seed Products | 18.0 | 608 | 7.1 |
| 49 | Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from unroasted kernels (non-chemically removed seed coat) | Nut and Seed Products | 17.9 | 607 | 9.3 |
| 50 | Nuts, mixed nuts, oil roasted, without peanuts, lightly salted | Nut and Seed Products | 17.9 | 607 | 7.1 |
Method
- Values are per 100 g of food, as reported in USDA FoodData Central.
- Source: SR Legacy (April 2018 release) and Foundation Foods (April 2026 release), deduplicated.
- The table lists the top 50 foods, sorted by the ranking value.
This list ranks foods by protein per 100 g, so the entries near the top are the most concentrated sources of protein by weight within nuts and seeds.
Values are per 100 g of food. A high rank means high protein density, not that a food is the only or best choice overall.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. SR Legacy (April 2018).
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central. Foundation Foods (April 2026).