Insect · beetle
Mealworms
Mealworms provides 20 g of protein per 100 g (20 g per typical serving).
20gprotein / 100 g
- Per serving
- 20 g (1/2 cup · 100 g)
- Calories
- 200 kcal / 100 g
- Protein density
- 10 g / 100 kcal
PDCAAS
0.75
Scale 0–1 (capped at 1.0)
DIAAS
72%
Moderate quality
Leucine
1.6 g
1.6 g per serving
Digestion
Medium
Best: Anytime
Limiting amino acid
Methionine
Pair it to complete the profile
Nutrition per 100 g
- Protein 20 g 37% kcal
- Fat 13 g 54% kcal
- Carbs 5 g 9% kcal
| Calories | 200 kcal |
|---|---|
| Leucine | 1,600 mg (8% of protein) |
| Lysine | 1,200 mg |
| Typical serving | 1/2 cup (100 g) |
Leucine threshold
About 2.5–3 g of leucine per meal maximally switches on muscle protein synthesis.
2.5 g
One serving (1/2 cup) = 1.6 g leucine
About 1.6 servings reach the threshold, or combine with a leucine-rich food.
Pair it with
- Rice, oats or whole-grain breadGrains supply the methionine legumes and fruits lack.
- Sesame, sunflower or hemp seedsSeeds are rich in sulfur amino acids.
- Eggs or dairy (if vegetarian)Complete proteins fill every gap.
Cost & footprint
- Cost per gram of protein
- $0.095
- Cost for 30 g protein
- ≈ $2.85
- Carbon footprint
- 1.5 kg CO₂e / kg
LowHigh
US retail estimates; prices and emissions vary by region and producer.