Every 100 kcal of sweet corn brings 3.6 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 68th of the 105 vegetables in this database and 570th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 3.41 g per 100 g ranks 10th in its group.
Around 14% of the calories in sweet corn come from protein, so it is more of an energy food than a protein food. 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.
Weight for weight, sweet corn has 2.3 g of protein for each gram of fat (3.41 g against 1.5 g per 100 g).
Set against asparagus, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.8 g more protein (asparagus has 4.3 g per 1 cup cooked).
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 149 g, and it covers about 10% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of sweet corn
Protein and calories in Sweet corn for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
3.41 g
96 kcal
1 cup (serving used here)
149 g
5.1 g
143 kcal
1 ear small (5-1/2" to 6-1/2" long)
89 g
3 g
85 kcal
1 ear medium (6-3/4" to 7-1/2" long)
103 g
3.5 g
99 kcal
1 ear large (7-3/4" to 9" long)
118 g
4 g
113 kcal
1 baby ear
8 g
0.3 g
8 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 sweet corn
The nine essential amino acids in Sweet corn, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
0.358 g
0.53 g
105
lysine
0.141 g
0.21 g
41
valine
0.191 g
0.28 g
56
isoleucine
0.133 g
0.2 g
39
threonine
0.133 g
0.2 g
39
phenylalanine
0.155 g
0.23 g
45
methionine
0.069 g
0.1 g
20
histidine
0.091 g
0.14 g
27
tryptophan
0.023 g
0.03 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.
Related
Other vegetables by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Red bell pepper - 3.8 g per 100 kcal, 1.5 g per 1 cup chopped
Beets - 3.8 g per 100 kcal, 2.9 g per 1 cup sliced cooked
3.41 g. The 1 cup serving used on this page weighs 149 g and so carries 5.1 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of sweet corn?
3.6 g. That figure divides its 3.41 g of protein per 100 g by its 96 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in sweet corn complete?
No. On its own, the protein in sweet corn 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 sweet corn?
About 10%. One 1 cup serving has 5.1 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #169999 (Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, 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.