10 High Protein Fruits to Add to Your Diet

The Dietary Reference Intake says that you should aim to consume at least 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of weight in your body.

This means that the average man should consume about 56 grams and the average sedentary woman about 46 grams of proteins every day. You can help supplement this intake by including high protein fruits in your diet.

There is a good chance that when you think of proteins you only think of the usual suspects:

• Meat
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Eggs
• Legumes
• Seafood

This assumption is highly warranted as these are some of the foods that contain the highest protein content. There are, however, some fruits that contain a reasonable amount of protein and should be included in your diet for supplementary purposes.

The beauty of getting your proteins from high protein fruits is the fact that these fruits provide much more than just protein. With protein rich fruit, you end up getting vitamins, healthy carbs as well as a host of other nutrients and fibers – things you wouldn’t typically get from other protein sources. This means you can have a colorful high protein diet centered on more than just red meat and protein powder!

Here are ten of the best high protein fruits you can include in your daily diet starting today:

1. Avocado

Perhaps the world’s most famous fruit, there’s almost nothing you can’t do with an Avocado. As far as high protein fruit goes, this is one of the best. You can eat it as is, mash it up and apply it to your toast or even have it as part of your guacamole. As far as nutrient content is concerned, an avocado fruit has about 3 grams of proteins. This makes it one of the most protein rich fruits available. However, it’s not all about the protein when it comes to avocado, it’s also a great source of fiber, potassium, and healthy fat.

2. Guava

If you want fruit protein, this tropical fruit is packed full of nutrients including 4.2 grams of protein in every cup. Additionally, it’s quite high in fiber and vitamin C. This is a naturally sweet fruit that can be eaten in a variety of ways including simply biting into it as you would an apple or you can slice it up to make bite-size chunks. The beauty of it all is that you get most of these nutrients when you eat the fruit’s skin and seeds which means nothing goes to waste.

3. Apricot

Like most super fruits, apricot has a host of nutrients in every mouthful. Not only is it an excellent source of vitamin A, C, and E, which do wonders for your eyes and skin, it also contains about 2 grams of protein. The trick is to eat it raw as opposed to dried. The flesh and skin of apricot are chock full of fiber which also helps with digestion.

4. Jackfruit

Closely related to figs, jackfruit is a tropical fruit that tends to have a close similarity to pulled pork when eaten unripe. The fruit contains about 3 grams of proteins per cupful. As you would expect, the fruit also has a host of health benefits including fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and C, iron, calcium, and riboflavin. All of which are wonderful nutrient for maintaining a healthy heart and body.

5. Kiwi

Loaded with about 2 grams of protein, every cup of kiwi is not only tasty but also quite beneficial to your health. When cleaned properly, you can even eat the skin to get the additional benefits that come from the fiber contained therein. Every bite of a kiwi fruit also contains potassium, iron, phosphorous, and vitamin C, making it a healthy protein.

6. Blackberries

Not only are blackberries delicious but they are also chock full of nutrients. One cup of these delectable berries comes with about 2 grams of proteins. Additionally, you get around 8 grams of fiber and almost 50% of the recommended vitamin C daily intake for an adult. Furthermore, the fruit is rich in antioxidants which are a wonderful defense against free radicals in the body. It’s also a reliable source of brain-boosting polyphenols.

7. Cherries

Most popular around summertime, this delicious treat contains about 1.6 grams of protein in every cup. It’s also a wonderful source of potassium which is essential in regulating your blood pressure as well as muscle function. Cherries also have a lot of anti-inflammatory properties as well as antioxidants. Finally, they are rich in melatonin, a hormone that’s quite helpful when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.

8. Bananas

Perhaps best known for its potassium content which is a whopping 358 grams, this fruit is delicious, filling, versatile, and an easy way to up protein intake. What doesn’t always feature in the highlights reel for bananas is its 1.6 grams of protein contained in each cup making it one of the most reliable sources of the nutrient.

Bananas also contain prebiotics, fiber, magnesium as well as vitamin A, B6, and C. While most people don’t like eating the “stringy bits”, those just happen to be the pathway to all this nutrient rich goodness contained in the fruit so make sure to eat them too.

9. Raisins

While raising may not be everyone’s favorite fruit, they’re still a worthwhile dried fruit to include in your diet! Raisins are not only high in sugar when eaten as raw fruit but also quite high in a host of nutrients including 1 gram of protein, tons of fiber as well as potassium. They also contain quite a bit of iron which can help fight anemia.

10. Grapefruit

There is evidence to suggest that grapefruits contain the kind of citric acid that could help prevent or minimize chances of kidney stones. That is just one benefit of this fruit. It also contains about 1.3 grams of protein, vitamin C, iron, and bone-building calcium to make it an excellent addition to every meal or snack.

Whether it’s fresh fruit or frozen fruit, eating the fruits on this list is a great addition to any diet! Not only do these high protein fruits provide you with this highly necessary nutrient but they also help satiate your hunger without piling on the calories. A combination of several of these fruits will make for an excellently delicious fruit salad or smoothies whenever you need to have a healthy snack.