Protein content
0.8 g of protein in 1 cup chopped (34 g) of watercress, or 20.9 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is extremely protein-dense.
| Protein per 100 kcal | 20.9 g |
|---|---|
| Protein per 100 g | 2.3 g |
| Protein per serving | 0.8 g in 1 cup chopped (34 g) |
| Calories from protein | 84% |
| Leucine per serving | 0.06 g |
| Rank in vegetables, per 100 kcal | 1st of 105 |
| Rank of all foods, per 100 g | 660th of 796 |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 2% per serving |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
One 1 cup chopped, 0.8 g protein.
Every 100 kcal of watercress brings 20.9 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 1st of the 105 vegetables in this database and 32nd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 2.3 g per 100 g ranks 42nd in its group.
About 84% of the calories in watercress come from protein, which makes it extremely protein-dense - close to the practical ceiling for a whole food. Foods in this band are the ones that let you raise your protein intake without raising your calorie intake much at all.
USDA lists 0.1 g of fat per 100 g of watercress, too little for a protein-to-fat ratio to mean much.
Set against alfalfa sprouts, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (alfalfa sprouts has 1.3 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 34 g, and it covers about 2% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Protein-dense for a leaf, but a cup of it weighs very little, so a serving contributes little overall.
Serving sizes
| Portion | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 2.3 g | 11 kcal |
| 1 cup chopped (serving used here) | 34 g | 0.8 g | 4 kcal |
| 1 sprig | 2.5 g | 0.1 g | 0 kcal |
| 10 sprigs | 25 g | 0.6 g | 3 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 | 0.166 g | 0.06 g | 72 |
| lysine | 0.134 g | 0.05 g | 58 |
| valine | 0.137 g | 0.05 g | 60 |
| isoleucine | 0.093 g | 0.03 g | 40 |
| threonine | 0.133 g | 0.05 g | 58 |
| phenylalanine | 0.114 g | 0.04 g | 50 |
| methionine | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | 9 |
| histidine | 0.04 g | 0.01 g | 17 |
| tryptophan | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | 13 |
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
No other vegetable entry in the database gives more protein per 100 kcal than watercress.
Highest-protein vegetables per serving · Most protein-dense foods · Highest protein per 100 g
Quick answers
2.3 g. The 1 cup chopped serving used on this page weighs 34 g and so carries 0.8 g.
20.9 g. That figure divides its 2.3 g of protein per 100 g by its 11 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
No. On its own, the protein in watercress is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
About 2%. One 1 cup chopped serving has 0.8 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #170068 (Watercress, raw), 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.