Highest Leucine Foods

Leucine is the branched-chain amino acid that directly activates mTORC1, the molecular switch for muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Research consistently shows that hitting ~2.5–3 g of leucine per meal is needed to maximally stimulate the MPS signal — below this threshold, the trigger fires weakly regardless of total protein intake (Norton & Layman 2006; Witard et al. 2014). This page ranks every food in our database with verified leucine data by leucine per serving. For a deeper look at the amino acid science, see the leucine guide.

Leucine data is sourced from USDA FoodData Central per-amino-acid values and covers USDA-confirmed products only. Coverage is partial by design — foods without confirmed leucine values are excluded from this ranking. See the methodology for details.

111 products with leucine data · sorted by leucine per serving (descending)

Highest leucine foods

Top 15 by leucine / serving.

Bars colored by Protein Density (% of calories from protein) tier. Values in g leucine.

Filters111/111

Showing 111 / 111

Tier

Tiers are set by % of calories from protein

Platinum (40%+)Gold (25–39%)Silver (15–24%)Avoid (<15%)

Brand

Country

						Quality	Serving
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar David	74.7%	28g	150	18.7g	2.94g	—	75g
Birthday Cake Protein Bar Quest	42%	21g	200	10.5g	2.21g	—	60g
Chocolate Brownie Protein Bar Quest	46.7%	21g	180	11.7g	2.21g	—	60g
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bar Quest	42%	21g	200	10.5g	2.21g	—	60g
Cookies and Cream Protein Bar Quest	42%	21g	200	10.5g	2.21g	—	60g
Caramel Cashew Protein Bar Barebells	40%	20g	200	10g	2.1g	—	55g
Creamy Crisp Protein Bar Barebells	40%	20g	200	10g	2.1g	—	55g
BBQ Tortilla Style Protein Chips Quest	54.3%	19g	140	13.6g	2g	—	32g
Loaded Taco Tortilla Style Protein Chips Quest	54.3%	19g	140	13.6g	2g	—	32g
Ranch Tortilla Style Protein Chips Quest	51.4%	18g	140	12.9g	1.89g	—	32g
Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine Explore Cuisine	53.3%	24g	180	13.3g	1.87g	—	56g
Organic edamame spaghetti Explore Cuisine	53.3%	24g	180	13.3g	1.87g	—	56g
Nacho Cheese Tortilla Style Protein Chips Quest	54.3%	19g	140	13.6g	1.81g	—	32g
Coconut Protein Bar Built	37.8%	17g	180	9.4g	1.79g	—	55g
Salted Caramel Protein Bar Built	37.8%	17g	180	9.4g	1.79g	—	55g
Organic Black Bean Spaghetti Explore Cuisine	48.4%	23g	190	12.1g	1.79g	—	132.4g
Peanut Butter Power Cookie NuGo	27.8%	16g	230	7g	1.68g	—	60g
Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt Chobani	71.1%	16g	90	17.8g	1.65g	—	170g
Total 0% Plain Greek Yogurt Fage	80%	18g	90	20g	1.65g	—	170g
Total 2% Plain Greek Yogurt Fage	56.7%	17g	120	14.2g	1.65g	—	170g
Plain Skyr Yogurt Painterland Sisters	68%	17g	100	17g	1.65g	—	150g
Double Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Quest	25%	15g	240	6.3g	1.58g	—	58g
Organic Overnight Oats Mix Beyond Oats	27.6%	20g	290	6.9g	1.56g	—	80g
Banana Bread oats overnight	30.8%	20g	260	7.7g	1.56g	—	69g
Cinnamon Roll oats overnight	32%	20g	250	8g	1.56g	—	67g
Pear & Apple Crumble Oats Overnight	30.8%	20g	260	7.7g	1.56g	—	100g
Triple Zero Strawberry Greek Yogurt Oikos	60%	15g	100	15g	1.43g	—	150g
Triple Zero Vanilla Greek Yogurt Oikos	60%	15g	100	15g	1.43g	—	150g
Vanilla Skyr Yogurt Siggi’s	50.9%	14g	110	12.7g	1.33g	—	150g
Peanut Butter Frosted Cookies Quest	20%	12g	240	5g	1.26g	—	50g
Cocoa Cereal Magic Spoon	37.1%	13g	140	9.3g	1.24g	—	33g
Frosted Cereal Magic Spoon	37.1%	13g	140	9.3g	1.24g	—	33g
Fruity Cereal Magic Spoon	37.1%	13g	140	9.3g	1.24g	—	33g
Peanut Butter Cereal Magic Spoon	34.7%	13g	150	8.7g	1.24g	—	33g
Lowfat Cottage Cheese Daisy	57.8%	13g	90	14.4g	1.19g	—	113g
1% Low-Fat Cottage Cheese Good Culture	70%	14g	80	17.5g	1.19g	—	113g
2% Low-Fat Cottage Cheese Good Culture	62.2%	14g	90	15.6g	1.19g	—	113g
Protein Oatmeal Magic Spoon	30%	15g	200	7.5g	1.17g	—	60g
Less Sugar Vanilla Greek Yogurt Chobani	40%	12g	120	10g	1.14g	—	150g
Strawberry Greek Yogurt Two Good	60%	12g	80	15g	1.14g	—	150g
Vanilla Greek Yogurt Two Good	60%	12g	80	15g	1.14g	—	150g
Protein-Packed Oatmeal Blueberries & Cream Kodiak	25.3%	14.4g	228	6.3g	1.12g	—	60g
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ALOHA	23.3%	14g	240	5.8g	1.09g	—	56g
RED LENTIL PENNE Barilla	29.5%	14g	190	7.4g	1.09g	—	56g
Cinnamon Toast Cereal Catalina Crunch	40%	11g	110	10g	1.05g	—	36g
Honey Graham Cereal Catalina Crunch	40%	11g	110	10g	1.05g	—	36g
Maple Waffle Cereal Catalina Crunch	40%	11g	110	10g	1.05g	—	36g
Organic Red Lentil Sedanini Trader Joe's	28.2%	13.4g	190	7.1g	1.05g	—	56g
Cavatappi made from chickpeas Banza	27.4%	13g	190	6.8g	1.01g	—	56g
Red Lentil Rotini Barilla	28.9%	13g	180	7.2g	1.01g	—	56g
Red Lentil Spaghetti Barilla	28.9%	13g	180	7.2g	1.01g	—	56g
Protein Granola Magic Spoon	20%	13g	260	5g	1.01g	—	60g
Granola Protein Oats & Honey Nature Valley	18.6%	13g	280	4.6g	1.01g	—	65g
Protein Made From Chickpeas Banza	25.9%	12.3g	190	6.5g	0.96g	—	56g
Rotini Made from Chickpeas Banza	25.9%	12.3g	190	6.5g	0.96g	—	56g
Birthday Cake Cookies Buff Bake	21.2%	9g	170	5.3g	0.95g	—	39g
Chocolate Chip Cookies Buff Bake	20%	9g	180	5g	0.95g	—	39g
Snickerdoodle Cookies Buff Bake	21.2%	9g	170	5.3g	0.95g	—	39g
Parmesan Cheese Crisps Whisps	33.3%	10g	120	8.3g	0.95g	—	23g
OATMEAL Apple Cinnamon KODIAK	25.3%	12g	190	6.3g	0.94g	—	50g
Protein Packed Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar Kodiak	26.2%	12g	183	6.6g	0.94g	—	50g
Peanut Butter Flavour Hot Oat Cereal with Soy Protein Quaker	22.2%	12g	216	5.6g	0.94g	—	58g
Protein Granola Quaker	19.2%	12g	250	4.8g	0.94g	—	60g
Chocolate Chip Protein Bar RXBAR	22.9%	12g	210	5.7g	0.94g	—	52g
GoLean Original Kashi	30.6%	13g	170	7.6g	0.91g	—	53g
Peanut Butter Granola KIND	14.8%	11.4g	309	3.7g	0.89g	—	65g
Beef Bison Bacon Cranberry Bar EPIC	36.7%	11g	120	9.2g	0.88g	—	43g
Buffalo Chicken Chips Wilde	33.8%	11g	130	8.5g	0.88g	—	28g
Sea Salt Chicken Chips Wilde	36.7%	11g	120	9.2g	0.88g	—	28g
Cheddar Cheese Crisps Whisps	30%	9g	120	7.5g	0.86g	—	23g
Special K Protein Granola Special K	24%	12g	200	6g	0.84g	—	50g
Italian Style Beef Stick Chomps	40%	9g	90	10g	0.81g	—	28g
Jalapeno Beef Stick Chomps	40%	9g	90	10g	0.81g	—	28g
Original Beef Jerky Chomps	51.4%	9g	70	12.9g	0.81g	—	28g
Original Beef Jerky Country Archer	60%	12g	80	15g	0.81g	—	28g
Sweet BBQ Beef Jerky Country Archer	60%	12g	80	15g	0.81g	—	28g
Chipotle Beef Jerky Krave	45%	9g	80	11.3g	0.81g	—	28g
Sweet Chipotle Beef Jerky Krave	45%	9g	80	11.3g	0.81g	—	28g
Old Fashioned Beef Jerky Old Trapper	55%	11g	80	13.8g	0.81g	—	28g
healthy grains granola Peanut Butter KIND	15.4%	10g	260	3.8g	0.78g	—	65g
Protein Old Fashioned Rolled Oats Quaker	23.8%	10g	168	6g	0.78g	—	42g
Strawberry Frozen Greek Yogurt Two Good	20%	8g	160	5g	0.76g	—	99g
Vanilla Chocolate Chip Frozen Greek Yogurt Two Good	18.8%	8g	170	4.7g	0.76g	—	99g
Original Turkey Stick Chomps	51.4%	9g	70	12.9g	0.72g	—	28g
Special K Protein Cereal Special K	33.3%	10g	120	8.3g	0.7g	—	35g
Light String Cheese Frigo	48%	6g	50	12g	0.62g	—	21g
Mozzarella String Cheese Frigo	35%	7g	80	8.8g	0.62g	—	28g
Chocolate Chip Complete Cookie Lenny & Larry’s	14.5%	8g	220	3.6g	0.62g	—	57g
Double Chocolate Complete Cookie Lenny & Larry’s	14.5%	8g	220	3.6g	0.62g	—	57g
Peanut Butter Complete Cookie Lenny & Larry’s	13.9%	8g	230	3.5g	0.62g	—	57g
Snickerdoodle Complete Cookie Lenny & Larry’s	14.5%	8g	220	3.6g	0.62g	—	57g
Light Mozzarella String Cheese Sargento	48%	6g	50	12g	0.62g	—	21g
Mozzarella String Cheese Sargento	30%	6g	80	7.5g	0.62g	—	28g
Snack Cheese Mozzarella Tillamook	28.6%	5g	70	7.1g	0.62g	—	21g
Mini Babybel Light Babybel	48%	6g	50	12g	0.57g	—	21g
Cookies and Cream Greek Yogurt Bar Yasso	24%	6g	100	6g	0.57g	—	65g
Mint Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Bar Yasso	24%	6g	100	6g	0.57g	—	65g
Sea Salt Caramel Greek Yogurt Bar Yasso	24%	6g	100	6g	0.57g	—	65g
Mini Babybel Original Babybel	28.6%	5g	70	7.1g	0.48g	—	21g
Birthday Cake Pint Halo Top	25%	5g	80	6.3g	0.48g	—	64g
Chocolate Pint Halo Top	25%	5g	80	6.3g	0.48g	—	64g
Sea Salt Caramel Pint Halo Top	25%	5g	80	6.3g	0.48g	—	64g
Vanilla Bean Pint Halo Top	25%	5g	80	6.3g	0.48g	—	64g
Cinnamon Peanut Butter Nut Granola purely elizabeth.	14.1%	6g	170	3.5g	0.47g	—	30g
Vanilla Almond Butter Nut Granola purely elizabeth.	14.1%	6g	170	3.5g	0.47g	—	30g
Maple Pecan grain free granola Three Wishes	10.9%	6g	220	2.7g	0.47g	—	40g
Apple Cinnamon Nut Granola Kind	15.4%	5g	130	3.8g	0.39g	—	30g
Original Salty-Sweet Granola Purely Elizabeth	20%	5g	100	5g	0.39g	—	26g
White Cheddar Cheez-It Snap’d Cheez-It	12.3%	4g	130	3.1g	0.38g	—	28g
Cinnamon Sugar Chickpea Puffs Hippeas	12.3%	4g	130	3.1g	0.31g	—	28g
Chocolate Mini Ice Cream Bar Magnum	4.7%	2g	170	1.2g	0.19g	—	43g

The leucine gap protein powders don't print on the label

A supplement label prints total protein grams and, sometimes, leucine grams — never leucine as a percentage of that protein. That ratio is what actually predicts the MPS trigger, and it varies enough between products that two powders claiming the identical protein-gram number can differ by several real points of it.

Same label claim, different quality

Dymatize ISO100 Hydrolyzed 100% Whey Isolate and Ka'Chava Whole Body Meal Shake both print 25g protein per serving on the label — but 10.8% of that protein is leucine in one and ~7.8% in the other, a real 3-point gap the gram count alone never shows.

DymatizeISO100 Hydrolyzed 100% Whey Isolate's value is label-verified; Ka'ChavaWhole Body Meal Shake's is estimated from its dominant protein source (no published aminogram) — see provenance below.

The gap holds even restricted to fully label-verified products, no estimates involved: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (10.4%) vs. NOW Sports Pea Protein (8.2%) at 24g protein each — a 2.2-point gap with zero asterisks.

Bar chart: 26 protein powders ranked by leucine as a percentage of labeled protein. 1. Dymatize ISO100 Hydrolyzed 100% Whey Isolate, 10.8% of protein is leucine (25g protein per serving), label-verified. 2. NOW Sports Whey Protein Isolate, 10.8% of protein is leucine (25g protein per serving), label-verified. 3. BulkSupplements Whey Protein Concentrate 80%, 10.6% of protein is leucine (23g protein per serving), label-verified. 4. Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate, 10.5% of protein is leucine (28g protein per serving), estimated. 5. Legion Whey+, 10.5% of protein is leucine (22g protein per serving), estimated. Full ranking in the adjacent list. 16 of 26 values are estimated from a protein-source factor model, not a published aminogram.

16 of 26 powders' leucine values are estimated from their dominant protein source (whey/dairy/pea/soy/etc. leucine-fraction factors), not a published aminogram — marked with "~" and lighter bars above. The rest are sourced from a manufacturer certificate of analysis or labeled aminogram. See methodology and the full protein powder database for per-product detail.

Why leucine matters

The 2.5 g threshold

Norton & Layman (2006) established that leucine acts as a metabolic signal — not just a substrate — for initiating MPS via mTORC1. Doses below ~2.5 g produce a submaximal anabolic response; above the threshold, the signal saturates. This is why protein quantity alone (total grams) is an incomplete guide: 20 g of protein from collagen (very low leucine) is far less anabolic than 20 g from whey (high leucine).

Best food sources

Animal proteins are consistently the highest leucine sources per gram: whey protein isolate (~11% leucine by weight), casein (~10%), eggs (~8.5%), chicken breast (~8%), and beef (~8%). Most dairy foods — highest protein Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and highest-protein cheeses ranked — fall in the 9–10% range. Plant proteins are typically lower: soy ~8%, pea ~8%, wheat gluten ~7% — see how highest protein beans and legumes stack up.

Eating out and still want to clear the threshold in one meal? See highest protein fast food for the chain items that get you there in a single order.

Leucine data sourced from USDA FoodData Central per-amino-acid values, converted per-serving. Coverage is partial — only USDA-confirmed products with available amino acid records are included. See methodology for the math and data sources.

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Highest Leucine Foods

The leucine gap protein powders don't print on the label

Why leucine matters