High Protein Fruits

While planning for a protein rich diet, the first choices that come to our mind are pulses (or legumes), fish, and meat. But unfortunately, not many of us consider fruits as a protein source. The fact is that these nutritious items contain proteins along with sugar, vitamins, minerals, fiber, beta carotene, and antioxidants. According to nutrition experts, fruits are a perfect blend of all types of amino acids and proteins. Here, we shall take a look at the selective fruits high in protein content, which you can include in the high protein diet plan.

Some Fruits Rich in Protein

Knowing which are high protein fruits is important for pure vegetarians, as the required protein comes solely from the vegetables and fruits. For non-vegetarians also, incorporating fruits high in protein is a healthy alternative, instead of relying on animal products only. A still better tip is to balance the amount of fruits, vegetables, and animal based foods for providing proteins and other essential nutrients for the body. Following is a list of fruit types that contain a high percentage of protein.

Apple - Apple is a rich source of protein that can be consumed in raw or cooked form, with or without skin. A large-sized apple (approximately 2 apples per pound weight) gives about 0.55 g of protein. When prepared in slices with skin intact, 1 cup serving provide 0.29 g protein.

Apricot - Serving 1 fresh apricot weighing more than 100 g is equivalent to consuming 0.49 g protein. The same raw apricot, when prepared in slices, yields 2.31 g in 1 cup serving. As per your preference, you can have either fresh apricots or dried apricots.

Blueberries - Another name in the lists of fruits high in protein and fiber is blueberry. It is sold in raw, sweetened, unsweetened, and syrup forms. Consuming 50 blueberries provides about 0.50 g protein, while serving 1 cup blueberries yield 1.07 g protein.

Date - Date is a sweet tasting fruit borne on the plant, date palm. It contains a very high percentage of protein. Serving a single date provides 0.20 g of proteins, while 100 g of date yields as high as 2.45 g protein. It is eaten as soft fruit or dried fruit.

Fig - Both fresh and dried fig fruits are healthy sources of proteins. The protein found in fig is of good quality. Serving a medium-sized ripe fig yields about 0.38 g protein. For 100 g fig serving size, the protein yield accounts to about 0.75 g.

Mangosteen - Mangosteen is popularly used for therapeutic purposes. A fruit with a purple colored aril, serving 100 g of this fruit is equivalent to consuming 0.41 g of protein. Accordingly, 1 cup of mangosteen will yield 0.89 g protein.

Passion Fruit - It is a sour and sweet tasting fruit available in two types - the yellow variety used for making juices and the purple variety, eaten in raw form. Having 1 passion fruit will give 0.40 g protein, while increasing the serving size to 100 g will provide 2.20 g protein.

Tangerine - Related to the orange and other citrus fruits, tangerines are included in the list of protein rich fruits. Consuming 1 large fruit is similar to serving 1 cup of tangerine, which accounts to about 0.63 g. When prepared in sections, 1 cup tangerine will give 1.23 g protein.

List of Fruits High in Protein

As we all are aware, nutrients present in fruits are useful for maintaining healthy skin and hair. Talk to any dietician about healthy eating and he/she will suggest incorporation of fruits and veggies in the everyday diet. It is not mandatory that you consume proteinaceous fruits alone or just by making slices out of them. Rather create variety by preparing mixed fruit salads, concoction of juices, milk shakes, smoothies, etc. You can consume them in any form, as long as they are palatable and prepared properly. For more choices, presented below is a high protein fruits list for you.

• Avocado
• Banana
• Boysenberries
• Coconut
• Cherries
• Cantaloupe
• Gogi berries
• Guava
• Grapefruit
• Honeydew
• Kiwi fruit
• Mango
• Lemon
• Nectarines
• Navel orange
• Pear
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Prune
• Papaya
• Persimmons
• Plums
• Raspberries
• Raisins
• Strawberry
• Watermelon

So, this was all about fruits containing high amounts of protein. A major health benefit of consuming these fruits is that they contain minimum or negligible amounts of fats. Thus, they are a healthy protein source for people, who are diagnosed with heart and cardiovascular problems. However, one word of advice is to check the sugar content of the fruits before including in the diet as most ripe ones contain high amounts of sugar.