{"id":715413,"date":"2026-06-04T22:17:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/715413\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T22:17:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T22:17:21","slug":"dietitian-shares-the-top-5-healthy-grains-with-the-most-protein-nbc-bay-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/715413\/","title":{"rendered":"Dietitian shares the top 5 healthy grains with the most protein \u2013 NBC Bay Area"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think of\u00a0whole grains<\/a>, you probably think about healthy fiber and vitamins<\/a> they\u2019ll provide. But did you know that grains can be packed with protein, too?<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think of grains as a protein source,\u201d says Natalie Rizzo, registered dietitian and TODAY nutrition editor. \u201cIf I\u2019m planning a meal around protein, it\u2019s not like I\u2019m planning it around the grain. But I do think of grains as an additive protein source, especially as a plant-based person.\u201d<\/p>\n

The classic example is beans and rice, which complement each other to make a filling, well-rounded, high-protein meal.<\/p>\n

In fact, some types of grains can provide as much \u2014 or even more \u2014 protein per serving than an egg. And that\u2019s in addition to the gut-healthy fiber, B vitamins and antioxidants you\u2019ll find in grains.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t always need to opt for the highest-protein grain. But when you\u2019re\u00a0prioritizing protein<\/a>, here are the best places to start.<\/p>\n

The No. 1 whole grain with the most protein<\/p>\n

Wild Rice<\/p>\n

The whole grain with the most protein is wild rice.<\/p>\n

Curiously, wild rice is technically\u00a0not rice<\/a>, Rizzo explained previously. Instead, it\u2019s a variety of semi-aquatic grass, she said.<\/p>\n

This whole grain boasts 6.61 grams of protein per 45-gram serving of dry rice, according to the\u00a0U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>\u2019s food database. (The\u00a0Whole Grains Council<\/a>\u00a0considers 45 grams of dry grains a standard serving size, which amounts to a little less than a cup of cooked grains.)<\/p>\n

In addition to its high protein and fiber content, wild rice provides the same vitamins and minerals that you\u2019ll find in other healthy types of whole grain rice, like brown rice, Rizzo said.<\/p>\n

Wild rice is dark brown in color and has a pleasantly chewy outer layer with a softer, creamier inner grain. It\u2019s great in slow-cooker recipes, like this\u00a0casserole<\/a>, as well as simple\u00a0one-pot dinners<\/a>,\u00a0pilaf<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0risotto<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Other high-protein whole grains<\/p>\n

While wild rice is the whole grain with the most protein, according to the numbers, all whole grains offer some of this important nutrient. And many are basically tied with wild rice for the top spot.<\/p>\n

Here are a few other grains that are also high in protein.<\/p>\n

Spelt<\/p>\n

Almost tied for first place is spelt, which provides 6.57 grams of protein in a standard serving, the\u00a0USDA says<\/a>. You\u2019re more likely to find and use spelt in its ground flour form than as a grain, and it\u2019s a\u00a0great option for baking<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kamut<\/p>\n

This ancient grain is also quite high in protein. In a standard serving of kamut, you\u2019ll find 6.53 grams of protein.<\/p>\n

A lesser-known grain than some others on this list, kamut can be boiled into an oatmeal-like porridge. But you can also find kamut in some whole grain cereals.And puffed kamut can be a crunchy, healthy\u00a0topping for yogurt or cottage cheese<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Quinoa<\/p>\n

Technically a seed rather than a grain, quinoa is packed with nutrients \u2014 including 6.3 grams of protein per serving. When cooked, you\u2019ll get about 4 grams of protein per half-cup of quinoa.<\/p>\n

Quinoa has\u00a0more protein and fiber per serving<\/a>\u00a0than brown rice, dietitians explained previously. As a seed, quinoa also contains\u00a0heart-healthy fats<\/a>\u00a0not found in traditional grains.<\/p>\n

Rolled oats<\/p>\n

Classic oats are surprisingly\u00a0high in protein<\/a>, and they\u2019re one of Rizzo\u2019s most\u00a0recommended breakfasts<\/a>. Along with the 6 grams of protein you\u2019ll get per serving, oats also provide heart- and gut-healthy fiber.<\/p>\n

Tied with oats are amaranth, another ancient grain, as well as durum wheat, which is typically found ground up as semolina flour and\u00a0used in pasta<\/a>\u00a0or pizza dough.<\/p>\n

This story first\u00a0appeared on TODAY.com<\/a>. More from TODAY:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you think of\u00a0whole grains, you probably think about healthy fiber and vitamins they\u2019ll provide. But did you…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":715414,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,239202,84,395],"class_list":["post-715413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-diet-exercise","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/715413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=715413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/715413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/715414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=715413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=715413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=715413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}