How Much Protein Does Broccoli Have? | Everyday Plate Upgrade

A standard cup of chopped raw broccoli has about 3 grams of protein, and cooked portions can give you a little more protein per bite at times.

You might think of broccoli as a vitamin sidekick, not a real protein food. Still, the protein in broccoli adds up across a day, especially when you eat it in generous portions and pair it with other plant protein sources.

How Much Protein Does Broccoli Have? A Quick Overview

Raw broccoli is a low calorie vegetable with a modest but useful amount of protein. Data pulled from USDA based tables for raw broccoli show that 100 grams of raw florets provide about 2.8 grams of protein, along with fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.¹

A typical cup of chopped raw broccoli (around 90 to 95 grams) delivers around 2.5 to 3 grams of protein. If you like big portions and eat two heaped cups with a meal, that brings you to around 5 to 6 grams of protein from broccoli alone.

Cooked broccoli shifts the numbers only a little. Numbers from MyFoodData tables for cooked broccoli show that 100 grams of cooked florets provide close to 2.4 grams of protein, while a full cup of cooked broccoli (about 150 to 160 grams) lands near 3.5 to 4 grams of protein.²

The takeaway: broccoli will not replace a chicken breast, yet it quietly contributes several grams of protein every time it shows up on your plate, especially in larger servings or across multiple meals in a day.

Broccoli Protein Per 100 Grams And Per Cup

Numbers based on cooked and raw weight help you plan real meals. Here is how broccoli protein breaks down in everyday portions.

Raw Broccoli Servings

Raw florets work well in salads, snack boxes, and slaws. These rough figures are based on USDA style data for raw broccoli.

• 100 grams raw broccoli: about 2.8 grams of protein.
• 1 cup chopped raw broccoli (90–95 grams): around 2.5 to 3 grams of protein.
• 1 large raw stalk with florets (about 150 grams edible portion): close to 4 to 4.5 grams of protein.

Raw portions tend to feel lighter, so it is easy to eat more volume. That helps you bring in extra protein along with fiber and micronutrients without many calories.

Cooked Broccoli Servings

Steaming or boiling softens broccoli and makes the portion feel smaller, which means many people eat more cooked broccoli than raw in one sitting.

• 100 grams cooked broccoli (boiled, drained): roughly 2.4 grams of protein.
• 1/2 cup cooked broccoli (about 75 to 80 grams): about 1.8 to 2 grams of protein.
• 1 cup cooked broccoli (150 to 160 grams): around 3.5 to 4 grams of protein.

Cooking changes texture and taste more than protein content. So if you prefer cooked broccoli, you can still get a steady protein boost by filling a good portion of your plate with it.

Broccoli Protein Versus Other Foods

To know whether broccoli feels worthwhile as a protein source, it helps to set it next to other foods. The chart below compares broccoli with a mix of animal and plant proteins, all per 100 grams cooked or raw as commonly eaten.

The exact numbers come from nutrition databases that draw from USDA FoodData Central and similar sources, but you can treat them as round figures for menu planning, not as lab grade targets.^1,2,3

This comparison shows that broccoli sits in a middle ground. It delivers more protein than many starchy sides per calorie, yet it trails high protein foods like tofu, lentils, and meat. That means broccoli works best as part of a plate that already includes a richer protein anchor.

Think of it this way: if your bowl holds tofu or lentils for the main protein, broccoli can still bring several extra grams along with fiber and a long list of vitamins and minerals.

How Broccoli Protein Fits Into Daily Needs

Most healthy adults can use the classic rule of thumb for protein intake: around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That figure comes from Harvard Health guidance on protein needs. A 70 kilogram adult would need about 56 grams of protein per day under that guideline.^4,5 Plant based eaters often spread that protein target across beans, grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables like broccoli.

Sports dietitians often suggest 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram for people who lift hard or are older. Needs shift with age, training, and health, and in every case broccoli only fills part of that total beside richer protein foods.

Here is a simple view of how broccoli can contribute to those daily numbers.

For a 70 kilogram person, two cups of cooked broccoli would give roughly 7 grams of protein. That is about one eighth of the day’s minimum need. Paired with beans, tofu, eggs, dairy, meat, or other protein rich foods, broccoli helps nudge your intake upward while keeping calories in check.

Other Nutritional Benefits Of Broccoli

Protein is only part of the reason nutrition experts like broccoli. According to a Harvard Health feature on this vegetable, broccoli provides generous vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate, along with potassium and a long list of plant compounds linked with heart and eye health.⁶

Broccoli also brings a strong fiber hit for its calorie level. A typical cooked cup supplies around 5 grams of fiber, which helps with digestion, steady blood sugar, and long lasting fullness. That combination of fiber and modest protein makes broccoli handy for people who want meals that feel satisfying without a large calorie load.

Raw and lightly cooked broccoli also contain sulfur based compounds that researchers connect with cell protection and healthy aging markers. Those compounds show up in other cruciferous vegetables too, so a mix of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale over a week gives you wide variety.

Practical Ways To Get More Broccoli Protein

You do not need a complicated recipe to get more protein from broccoli. Steady, repeated servings across the week matter more than any single dish.

Add Broccoli To Protein Rich Bowls

One easy move is to treat broccoli as part of the protein section on your plate instead of only a garnish. Mix steamed florets into:

• Brown rice and lentil bowls with a spoon of olive oil and herbs.
• Stir fries built on tofu or tempeh with a side of whole grain noodles.
• Egg based dishes such as omelets, frittatas, or breakfast burritos.
• Pasta with white beans or chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, and grated cheese.

In each case, the main protein comes from beans, eggs, soy, or cheese, yet the broccoli still boosts the total protein by several grams while adding color and crunch.

Swap Part Of Your Starch For Broccoli

Another practical step is to trade half a portion of rice, pasta, or potatoes for a mound of broccoli. Since broccoli and brown rice have similar protein density per 100 grams, you retain most of the protein while shifting more of the plate toward fiber and micronutrients.

Try serving curry over a half and half mix of rice and steamed broccoli, or toss roasted broccoli with small pasta shapes so the florets become part of the base instead of a token topping.

Use Broccoli Florets And Stems

Many people trim away broccoli stems, yet the stems carry similar protein to the florets. Peel the tough outer layer, then slice the core into coins or matchsticks.

• Stir sliced stems into soups near the end of cooking so they stay a bit crisp.
• Grate stems into coleslaw style salads with carrots and a yogurt dressing.
• Roast stems with florets on a sheet pan with oil, salt, and pepper.

When you use the full stem, you gain extra volume and protein from the same head of broccoli, and you cut food waste at the same time.

Takeaways On Broccoli And Protein

Broccoli will never sit in the same protein league as chicken breast, tofu, or lentils. Even so, it earns a steady place in a higher protein eating pattern.

Per 100 grams, raw broccoli offers about 2.8 grams of protein, and cooked broccoli gives close to 2.4 grams. Cups and plate sized servings turn those small numbers into a meaningful bump, especially when you eat broccoli in generous portions alongside richer protein foods.

In day to day terms, that means loading half your plate with vegetables like broccoli, building the rest around beans, soy, eggs, dairy, or meat, and letting each food add its share. Over time, that mix brings enough protein, plenty of fiber, and a wide spread of vitamins and minerals without a complicated tracking routine.

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