FRUITS HAVE PROTEIN TOO

Lai Cheng June 4, 2024 0 Comments

Mention fruit and we think of health-giving antioxidants and fibre. But do you know: fruits have protein too.

Although not commonly consumed for their protein content – they provide less protein than vegetables, beans, nuts, and other high protein foods; hence they don’t fall under the category of high-protein foods – fruits can add additional protein to your diet, every little bit counts.

The average person’s current daily value of protein (DV) is 50 grams per day. 1 cup of fruit provides 1-10% of the DV for protein.

Protein is a macronutrient your body needs to build muscle, fight infections, produce hormones, and perform many more critical processes.

High protein fruits include guavas, avocados, jackfruit, kiwi, apricots, blackberries and raspberries, raisins, bananas, grapefruits, oranges and cherries. If you’re eating these regularly, you’re getting some protein too in addition to the disease-fighting nutrients that come along with the fruits.

Here’s how much protein these fruits give, according to a 1 Dec 2022 article in Web MD:

  • Guava is one of the most protein-rich fruits around. You’ll get a whopping 4.2 grams of the stuff in every cup. This fruit is also high in Vitamin C and fibre.
  • A cup of it sliced or cubed packs 3 grams of protein. Mashed will give you 4.6. That’s on the high end for a fruit. It’s also full of healthy fat, fibre, and potassium, making it a smart addition to any meal.
  • While its protein content is far lower than meat, jackfruit is fairly high in protein for a piece of fruit. It packs 2.8 grams of protein per cup.
  • Kiwi will give you about 2 grams of protein per cup.
  • A cup of it sliced clocks in at 2.3 grams of protein. Dried apricots also make for a quick and tasty snack. A quarter-cup serving will get you 1.1 grams of protein.
  • BLACKBERRIES & RASPBERRIES. Not all berries are great sources of protein. But blackberries have an impressive 2 grams per cup. Raspberries are relatively high in protein, too. They serve up about 1.5 grams per cup.
  • If dried fruits are your thing, raisins are a good bet for protein. One ounce, or about 60 of the little guys, has nearly 1 gram of protein.
  • Bananas are high in potassium, convenient to eat on the go, and can fuel your body during a workout just as well as a sports drink, according to one study. As if that weren’t enough, one medium banana brings 1.3 grams of protein.
  • Not only is this citrus fruit a Vitamin-C superstar, but 1 medium grapefruit will give you 1.6 grams of protein.
  • These are another great source of Vitamin C, and 1 medium orange packs 1.2 grams of protein. Don’t look to its juice for much of the nutrient, though. 1 cup only has half a gram. To get all the protein benefits of this citrus fruit, you’ll need to sink your teeth into its sweet flesh.
  • 1 cup of pitted cherries has 1.6 grams of protein.