Plant Foods Highest in Protein per Net Carb

Photo of Daisy Whitbread Written by Daisy Whitbread
BSc (Hons) MSc DipION
Photo of Dr. Patricia Shelton Medically Reviewed by
Dr. Patricia Shelton
Evidence Based. References sourced from PubMed.
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Plant Foods Highest in Protein per Net Carb

Adopting a plant-based diet is gaining in popularity, not just for ethical reasons, but also for environmental sustainability, and health reasons. (1) At the same time, many people are adopting diets that limit their intake of carbohydrates, such as 'keto' or 'eco-Atkins' diets.

Low-carb diets are typically high in protein, as they often involve relatively high meat consumption. However, those following a low-carb plant-based diet may be concerned about getting enough nutrients, especially protein. There are many great plant sources of protein available that also have low net carbs.

The standard daily value (DV) for protein is 50 grams per day, but you may require more or less depending on your weight and activity level. (2)

The high protein plant foods below are ranked by protein to net carb ratio. High protein plant foods that are low in net-carbs include soy foods, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. For more ideas, see the complete ranking of 200 vegan foods highest in protein per net-carb.

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About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The daily value (%DV) is a general guideline for consumption that will prevent deficiency of a particular nutrient in most people. The %DV refers to the percentage of an amount that\'s found in a single serving of a food. It also accounts for absorption factors. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Recommended Dietary Allowance (%RDA) - The RDA sets an average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals. It\'s more specific than the daily value, and varies by age and gender. The RDA is set by the US National Institutes of Health.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) -The reference dietary intake is similar to the recommended daily allowance, but is specific to age and gender. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - This value is primarily used in reference to omega-3 and omega-6 fats. The Adequate Intake is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. Because there is less evidence to determine the ideal targets for consumption of these nutrients, the specific amount is considered to be less reliable. Using the term Adequate Intake, rather than one of the other terms, helps to emphasize that the ideal intake of that particular nutrient has not yet been scientifically determined.

See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

Want to set your own targets? Sign up for an account and set custom targets in the daily food log.

Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.


View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. Corrin T, Papadopoulos A. A Look at Plant-Based Diets Appetite. 2017 Feb 1;109:40-47. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.018. Epub 2016 Nov 18. 27871943
  2. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
  3. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
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