Oct 2, 2026

Highest leucine vegan foods

Which plant foods contribute the most leucine? Compare equal weights and calorie amounts, then consider how the foods combine in a meal.

Compare vegan leucine sources

Showing 92 of 92 foods.

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Selected vegan foods with reported leucine values. Leucine, protein, and calories per 100 g; leucine per 100 calories is a separate comparison.

Soy protein isolate	Protein supplements	6.8 g	2.01 g	81 g	338
Spirulina	Protein supplements	5 g	1.72 g	57 g	290
Chlorella	Protein supplements	4.5 g	1.16 g	54 g	387
Nutritional yeast	Protein supplements	3.4 g	0.91 g	53 g	375
Seitan	Meat alternatives	3.3 g	0.89 g	25 g	370
Lupin beans	Legumes and soy	2.8 g	0.75 g	36 g	371
Lentils, uncooked	Legumes and soy	1.8 g	0.51 g	26 g	353
Almonds	Nuts and seeds	1.5 g	0.26 g	21 g	579
Cashews	Nuts and seeds	1.5 g	0.27 g	18 g	553
Peanut butter	Nuts and seeds	1.5 g	0.26 g	25 g	588
Chia seeds	Nuts and seeds	1.4 g	0.29 g	17 g	486
Chickpeas, raw	Legumes and soy	1.4 g	0.38 g	19 g	364
Tempeh	Legumes and soy	1.4 g	0.73 g	20 g	192
Flaxseeds	Nuts and seeds	1.2 g	0.22 g	18 g	534
Brazil nut	Nuts and seeds	1.1 g	0.17 g	14 g	656
Pasta, raw	Grains and starches	1 g	0.27 g	13 g	371
Tofu, uncooked	Legumes and soy	1 g	1.61 g	7 g	62
Edamame, cooked	Legumes and soy	0.9 g	0.74 g	11 g	122
Amaranth, raw	Grains and starches	0.8 g	0.22 g	14 g	371
Oats	Grains and starches	0.8 g	0.21 g	13 g	379
Quinoa, raw	Grains and starches	0.8 g	0.22 g	14 g	368
Black beans, canned	Legumes and soy	0.7 g	0.5 g	8 g	140
Brown rice, uncooked	Grains and starches	0.7 g	0.2 g	9 g	349
Falafel	Prepared and packaged foods	0.7 g	0.21 g	13 g	333
Kidney beans, cooked	Legumes and soy	0.7 g	0.55 g	9 g	127
White rice, uncooked	Grains and starches	0.6 g	0.17 g	7 g	356
Dark chocolate, 80%	Prepared and packaged foods	0.5 g	0.08 g	10 g	600
Dark chocolate, 90%	Prepared and packaged foods	0.5 g	0.08 g	10 g	598
Hummus	Prepared and packaged foods	0.5 g	0.3 g	8 g	166
Artichoke	Vegetables	0.3 g	0.64 g	3 g	47
Garlic	Vegetables	0.3 g	0.2 g	6 g	149
Green peas, raw	Legumes and soy	0.3 g	0.37 g	5 g	81
Oreos, cookies	Prepared and packaged foods	0.3 g	0.06 g	4 g	472
Potato chips	Prepared and packaged foods	0.3 g	0.06 g	5 g	531
Sweet corn	Grains and starches	0.3 g	0.35 g	3 g	86
Brussel sprouts, raw	Vegetables	0.2 g	0.47 g	3 g	43
Coconut meat	Nuts and seeds	0.2 g	0.06 g	3 g	354
Kale, raw	Vegetables	0.2 g	0.41 g	4 g	49
Shiitake, fungus	Vegetables	0.2 g	0.59 g	2 g	34
Soy milk	Legumes and soy	0.2 g	0.47 g	3 g	43
Spinach, raw	Vegetables	0.2 g	0.87 g	3 g	23
Watercress	Vegetables	0.2 g	1.82 g	2 g	11
Asparagus, raw	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.5 g	2 g	20
Avocados	Fruits	0.1 g	0.06 g	2 g	160
Beets, raw	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.23 g	2 g	43
Bok choy, raw	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.77 g	2 g	13
Broccoli, raw	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.29 g	3 g	34
Cauliflower, raw	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.4 g	2 g	25
Dates, dried	Fruits	0.1 g	0.04 g	2 g	282
Ginger root	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.12 g	2 g	80
Mushrooms, raw	Vegetables	0.1 g	0.45 g	3 g	22
Regular potato, boiled	Fats and oils	0.1 g	0.13 g	2 g	77
Sweet potato, raw	Other	0.1 g	0.12 g	2 g	86
Airheads, candy	Prepared and packaged foods	0 g	0 g	0 g	389
Apple	Fruits	0 g	0 g	0 g	52
Bananas	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	89
Black olives, raw	Prepared and packaged foods	0 g	0 g	1 g	116
Blackberry	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	43
Blueberry	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	57
Cabbage, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	25
Carrots, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	41
Celery	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	14
Cherry	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	50
Clementine	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	47
Coca Cola	Beverages	0 g	0 g	0 g	37
Coconut water	Beverages	0 g	0 g	1 g	19
Coffee	Beverages	0 g	n/a	0 g	0
Coke zero	Beverages	0 g	n/a	0 g	0
Cucumber, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	15
Eggplant, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	25
Fennel	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	34
Grapefruit	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	42
Green tea	Beverages	0 g	n/a	0 g	0
Ketchup	Prepared and packaged foods	0 g	0 g	1 g	112
Lettuce, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	15
Mangos	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	60
Melon	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	34
Oil (general)	Fats and oils	0 g	0 g	0 g	884
Onion	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	40
Orange	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	47
Orange juice	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	45
Papaya	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	43
Pumpkin, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	26
Radish, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	16
Raspberry	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	53
Red bell pepper, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	31
Red bull	Beverages	0 g	0 g	0 g	43
Strawberry	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	33
Tomato sauce, canned	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	29
Tomato, raw	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	18
Watermelon	Fruits	0 g	0 g	1 g	30
Zucchini	Vegetables	0 g	0 g	1 g	17

Food values are rounded reference estimates from the protein and leucine spreadsheet. Two foods without reported leucine are omitted, not treated as zero. Product formulations and preparation vary; the generic oats entry is separate from the instant-oats entry in the fiber guide.

Florian's favorites

My pick: oatmeal with soy milk for breakfast. I use 50 to 100 g of instant oats with 100 to 200 ml of soy milk, and add chia seeds and flaxseeds. It is a simple way to bring protein and leucine into the same meal.

What leucine contributes to a meal

Leucine is an essential amino acid: you obtain it from food. It plays a role in the signaling involved in muscle protein synthesis, but that process also requires the other essential amino acids. A high leucine number cannot replace an adequate overall protein intake.

Think of leucine as one part of protein quality, not a reason to ignore the rest of the meal. For everyday eating, the useful question is how your chosen foods contribute together, rather than whether a single ingredient wins the ranking.

Concentrated sources versus everyday portions

Soy protein isolate ranks highly by weight in this selection. That is a concentrated ingredient, not a recommendation to eat 100 grams of powder. A scoop, a bowl of beans, and a glass of soy milk have very different portion sizes.

The leucine-per-calorie column answers a different question: how much leucine accompanies the energy in a food? It can help compare ingredients, but neither ranking tells you the leucine in a finished meal until you account for the amount used.

Keep preparation in mind. A dry-legume value does not describe 100 grams of cooked beans. Use the form identified by the source, and cook dried legumes before eating. Missing measurements are not evidence that a food contains no leucine.

Estimate the leucine in oatmeal and soy milk

Scale each ingredient separately: its listed leucine per 100 grams multiplied by the grams used, divided by 100. Add the ingredient estimates to get the meal estimate. The same calculation applies to protein; do not add the per-100-gram figures as if your portions were identical.

This reference lists oats at 13 g protein and 0.8 g leucine per 100 g, and soy milk at 3 g protein and 0.2 g leucine per 100 g. Applying those values to Florian's 50 to 100 g oats and 100 to 200 ml soy milk gives roughly 9.5 to 19 g protein and 0.6 to 1.2 g leucine, before seeds. For this rough calculation, soy milk is treated as about 1 g per ml; weighing it avoids that approximation.

Instant oats, fortified products, and higher-protein soy drinks can differ from these generic entries. A product's protein label helps estimate protein, but it does not establish an exact leucine amount when the manufacturer provides no amino-acid analysis.

Is there a single leucine threshold?

The threshold idea is often used as shorthand for a meal that supplies substantial protein and leucine. It is not a universal on/off switch that guarantees muscle growth whenever a particular number is reached.

Research on the leucine response depends on age, exercise, and whether participants consume isolated proteins or whole foods. A 2023 systematic review found no single leucine threshold in older adults. Use meal targets as a planning aid, alongside your overall diet and training, rather than a promise about the effect of one breakfast.

Sources

Build a meal around a protein source

Pair your fruit, vegetables, and grains with tofu, beans, lentils, or another protein source you enjoy. Compare portions and protein values to find options that fit your meals.

Compare vegan protein sources All food guides