Food database · Legumes & beans
Protein content
14.7 g of protein in 1 cup cooked (188 g) of lima beans, or 6.8 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.8 g |
|---|---|
| Protein per 100 g | 7.8 g |
| Protein per serving | 14.7 g in 1 cup cooked (188 g) |
| Calories from protein | 27% |
| Leucine per serving | 1.27 g |
| Rank in legumes, per 100 kcal | 14th of 54 |
| Rank of all foods, per 100 g | 517th of 796 |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 29% per serving |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
One 1 cup cooked, 14.7 g protein.
Every 100 kcal of lima beans brings 6.8 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 14th of the 54 legumes in this database and 360th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 7.8 g per 100 g ranks 35th in its group.
Around 27% of the calories in lima beans come from protein, so it is moderately protein-dense. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.
USDA lists 0.38 g of fat per 100 g of lima beans, too little for a protein-to-fat ratio to mean much.
Set against canned lentils, another legume entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.8 g less protein (canned lentils has 15.5 g per 1 cup).
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 188 g, and it covers about 29% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
| Portion | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 7.8 g | 115 kcal |
| 1 cup cooked (serving used here) | 188 g | 14.7 g | 216 kcal |
| 1 tbsp | 11.7 g | 0.9 g | 13 kcal |
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
| Amino acid | Per 100 g | Per serving | mg per g protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| leucine | 0.673 g | 1.27 g | 86 |
| lysine | 0.523 g | 0.98 g | 67 |
| valine | 0.469 g | 0.88 g | 60 |
| isoleucine | 0.411 g | 0.77 g | 53 |
| threonine | 0.337 g | 0.63 g | 43 |
| phenylalanine | 0.449 g | 0.84 g | 58 |
| methionine | 0.099 g | 0.19 g | 13 |
| histidine | 0.238 g | 0.45 g | 31 |
| tryptophan | 0.092 g | 0.17 g | 12 |
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.
Related
Highest-protein legumes per serving · Most protein-dense foods · Highest protein per 100 g
Quick answers
7.8 g. The 1 cup cooked serving used on this page weighs 188 g and so carries 14.7 g.
6.8 g. That figure divides its 7.8 g of protein per 100 g by its 115 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
No. On its own, the protein in lima beans is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
About 29%. One 1 cup cooked serving has 14.7 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #174253 (Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt), 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.