Every 100 kcal of cornmeal brings 2.2 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 88th of the 111 grains in this database and 678th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 8.12 g per 100 g ranks 66th in its group.
Only about 9% of the calories in cornmeal come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. It is worth eating for other reasons; the protein it adds to a day is incidental.
Weight for weight, cornmeal has 2.3 g of protein for each gram of fat (8.12 g against 3.59 g per 100 g).
Set against whole wheat crackers, another grain entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (whole wheat crackers has 3 g per 1 oz).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 30.5 g, and it covers about 5% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of cornmeal
Protein and calories in Cornmeal for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
8.12 g
362 kcal
1/4 cup (serving used here)
30.5 g
2.5 g
110 kcal
1 cup
122 g
9.9 g
442 kcal
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in cornmeal
The nine essential amino acids in Cornmeal, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
0.996 g
0.3 g
123
lysine
0.228 g
0.07 g
28
valine
0.411 g
0.13 g
51
isoleucine
0.291 g
0.09 g
36
threonine
0.305 g
0.09 g
38
phenylalanine
0.399 g
0.12 g
49
methionine
0.17 g
0.05 g
21
histidine
0.248 g
0.08 g
31
tryptophan
0.057 g
0.02 g
7
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
8.12 g. The 1/4 cup serving used on this page weighs 30.5 g and so carries 2.5 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of cornmeal?
2.2 g. That figure divides its 8.12 g of protein per 100 g by its 362 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in cornmeal complete?
No. On its own, the protein in cornmeal is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of cornmeal?
About 5%. One 1/4 cup serving has 2.5 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #169697 (Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.