The short answer
100 g of moringa leaves (raw) has 6.4 g of protein and 67 kcal.1 That's about 13% of the 50 g of protein ICMR-NIN suggests a day for a 60 kg adult.2
Nutrition in 100 g of moringa leaves
| Per 100 g | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 67 kcal (282 kJ) |
| Protein | 6.4 g ± 0.4 |
| Fat | 1.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 5.6 g |
| Fibre | 8.2 g |
| Water | 75.7 g |
These figures are for the raw, edible part of moringa leaves.
How much moringa leaves for your protein?
The amounts below are worked out from IFCT's figure of 6.4 g per 100 g. To see how moringa leaves fits into a whole day, add it in the day builder.
| To get | Eat about | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g of protein | 156 g (raw weight) | 105 kcal |
| 20 g of protein | 312 g (raw weight) | 209 kcal |
| 30 g of protein | 468 g (raw weight) | 314 kcal |
How moringa leaves compares
Moringa leaves has more protein per 100 g than 45% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Here it is beside the other vegetables we cover:
| Vegetables | Protein / 100 g | kcal | From protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green peas | 7.3 g | 81 | 36% |
| Moringa leaves | 6.4 g | 67 | 39% |
| Jackfruit seeds | 5.8 g | 77 | 31% |
| Methi leaves | 3.7 g | 34 | 43% |
| Mushroom | 3.7 g | 27 | 54% |
| Spinach | 2.1 g | 24 | 36% |
| Potato | 1.5 g | 70 | 9% |
Other vegetarian foods with similar protein: parboiled rice (7.8 g), puffed rice (7.5 g), poha (7.4 g), dry coconut (7.3 g), ragi (7.2 g). For more protein per 100 g, try soybean (37.8 g), masoor dal (24.4 g), moong dal (23.9 g). See every food on one protein chart.
Protein quality
Vegetables add small amounts of protein; their real value is fibre, vitamins and minerals. Fresh peas, some leaves and jackfruit seeds have more protein than most.
Moringa leaves in Indian languages
Names as listed in IFCT 2017, which records what the food is called in each region it was sampled from.1
- Assamese
- Sajina paat
- Bengali
- Sajna pata
- Gujarati
- Saragwa na pan
- Hindi
- Saijan patta
- Kannada
- Nuggeyele
- Malayalam
- Muringa ela
- Marathi
- Shevaga pan
- Odia
- Sajna sag
- Punjabi
- Soanjhna da patta
- Tamil
- Murungai keerai
- Telugu
- Mulaga akulu
- Urdu
- Sujineki palli
Common questions
How much protein is in 100 g of moringa leaves?
6.4 g, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 from ICMR-NIN. That's for raw moringa leaves, per 100 g of the edible part. 100 g also gives 67 kcal.
How much moringa leaves gives 20 g of protein?
About 312 g (raw weight). That's roughly 40% of the 50 g a day ICMR-NIN suggests for a 60 kg adult.
Is moringa leaves a good source of protein?
39% of its calories come from protein, and it has more protein per 100 g than 45% of the 542 foods in IFCT 2017. Vegetables add small amounts of protein; their real value is fibre, vitamins and minerals.
References
- Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. nin.res.in. Read through the open-data copy by Subhajit Sahu (ifct2017, MIT licence).
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. Nutrient Requirements for Indians: Recommended Dietary Allowances and Estimated Average Requirements. 2020. nin.res.in