138 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.PROTEIN CONTENT OF COMMON FOODS
IN INCREASING ORDER OF PROTEIN PER CALORIEPROTEIN PROTEIN PER PERCENT
(GRAMS) CALORIES CALORIE PROTEINOne banana 1.2 105 0.01 5
One cup of cooked brown rice 4.8 220 0.02 9
One corn on the cob 4.2 150 0.03 11
One baked potato 3.9 120 0.03 13
One cup of regular pasta 7.3 216 0.03^14
One 6-oz. fruit yogurt 7.0 190 0.04^15
Two slices of whole-wheat bread 4.8 120 0.04^16
One Burger King cheeseburger 18.0^350 0.05^21
Meatloaf with gravy (Campbell's) 14.0 230 0.06 24
One cup of frozen peas 9.0 120 0.08 30
One cup of lentils (cooked) 16.0 175 0.09 36
One cup of tofu 18.0 165 0.11 44
One cup of frozen broccoli 5.8 52 0.11 45
One cup of cooked spinach 5.4 42 0.13 51
Note that green vegetables have the most protein per calorie of all the above.
I see about twenty to thirty new patients per week, and I always
ask them, "Which has more protein — one hundred calories of sir-
loin steak or one hundred calories of broccoli?" When I tell them it's
broccoli, the most frequent response I get is "I didn't know broccoli
had protein in it." 1 then ask them, "So where did you think the calo-
ries in broccoli come from? Did you think it was mostly fat, like an
avocado, or mostly carbohydrate, like a potato?"People know less about nutrition than any other subject. Even
the physicians and dietitians who attend my lectures quickly volun-
teer the answer, "Steak!" They are surprised to learn that broccoli has
about twice as much protein as steak.When you eat large quantities of green vegetables, you receive a
considerable amount of protein. Remember, one 10-ounce box of
frozen broccoli contains more than ten grams of protein.How Much Protein Do We Need?
Over the years the amount of protein recommended by authorities
has bounced up and down like a yo-yo. It wasn't until nitrogen-balance