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The foods high in leucine in USDA data are tempeh, cottage cheese and boiled soybeans by the cup, then braised chuck roast, broiled sirloin, roasted chicken breast, pork, lamb, salmon, sardines, tuna and tofu by the usual serving. A cup of tempeh supplies about 2.4 grams, according to USDA FoodData Central. Leucine is one of the nine essential amino acids, which MedlinePlus describes as amino acids the body cannot make, and one of the three branched-chain amino acids, with valine and isoleucine, as Holecek notes in a 2018 review.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- In USDA SR Legacy data, a cup of tempeh, a cup of lowfat cottage cheese, a cup of boiled soybeans and a 3-ounce serving of braised beef chuck each supply more than 2 grams of leucine.
- Per 100 grams, USDA lists hard Parmesan at 3.5 grams and Swiss cheese at 3.0, above every meat and fish in this list, but a 1-ounce portion of cheese is small.
- Across cooked meat, poultry and fish, leucine is about 8% of the protein in USDA data; in cottage cheese, Parmesan and skim-milk yogurt it is about 10%.
- FDA sets no Daily Value for leucine or any other single amino acid, so this list has no %DV column.
- The body makes a small amount of HMB from leucine, about 5% according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition; that compound has its own guide.
Foods high in leucine: USDA values per serving
The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries from the April 2018 release, each shown with its FDC ID. Per-serving figures are the per-100-gram values multiplied by the gram weight of a common USDA portion, and the list is ranked by leucine per serving. FDA’s labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9, sets a Daily Value of 50 grams for protein but none for individual amino acids, so there is no %DV to show.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Leucine (g) | Per 100 g (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempeh (174272) | 1 cup | 2.4 | 1.4 | 34 |
| Cottage cheese, lowfat 2% (172182) | 1 cup | 2.4 | 1.0 | 24 |
| Soybeans, mature, boiled (174271) | 1 cup | 2.3 | 1.4 | 31 |
| Beef chuck arm pot roast, lean, braised (170615) | 3 oz | 2.3 | 2.7 | 28 |
| Beef top sirloin, lean, broiled (168634) | 3 oz | 2.1 | 2.4 | 26 |
| Chicken breast, meat only, roasted (171477) | 1/2 breast | 2.0 | 2.3 | 27 |
| Pork loin chop, lean, broiled (168253) | 3 oz | 2.0 | 2.3 | 23 |
| Lamb leg, lean, roasted (172487) | 3 oz | 1.9 | 2.2 | 24 |
| Sockeye salmon, cooked (173692) | 3 oz | 1.9 | 2.2 | 23 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained (175139) | 1 can | 1.8 | 2.0 | 23 |
| Chicken thigh, meat only, roasted (172388) | 3 oz | 1.8 | 2.1 | 21 |
| Light tuna, canned in water, drained (171986) | 3 oz | 1.8 | 2.1 | 22 |
| Tofu, firm, raw (172475) | 1/2 cup | 1.8 | 1.4 | 22 |
| Ground beef, 90% lean, broiled (174031) | 3 oz | 1.7 | 2.0 | 22 |
| Turkey, whole, roasted, meat only (171481) | 3 oz | 1.7 | 2.0 | 25 |
| Shrimp, cooked (171971) | 3 oz | 1.7 | 1.9 | 19 |
| Atlantic cod, cooked (171956) | 3 oz | 1.6 | 1.9 | 19 |
| Yogurt, plain, skim milk (170887) | 1 cup | 1.4 | 0.6 | 14 |
| Kidney beans, boiled (173740) | 1 cup | 1.3 | 0.7 | 15 |
| Lentils, boiled (172421) | 1 cup | 1.3 | 0.7 | 18 |
| Edamame, frozen, prepared (168411) | 1 cup | 1.2 | 0.7 | 18 |
| Greek yogurt, plain, lowfat (170903) | 1 container (7 oz) | 1.1 | 0.5 | 20 |
| Parmesan, hard (170848) | 1 oz | 1.0 | 3.5 | 10 |
| Swiss cheese (171251) | 1 oz | 0.8 | 3.0 | 8 |
| Whole milk (171265) | 1 cup | 0.7 | 0.3 | 8 |
| Pumpkin seed kernels, roasted (170557) | 1 oz | 0.7 | 2.4 | 8 |
| Cheddar cheese (173414) | 1 oz | 0.5 | 1.9 | 6 |
| Egg, hard-boiled (173424) | 1 large | 0.5 | 1.1 | 6 |
| Oatmeal, cooked with water (173905) | 1 cup | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6 |
| Peanuts, dry roasted (173806) | 1 oz | 0.4 | 1.5 | 7 |
| Gelatin, dry powder, unsweetened (169599) | 1 envelope | 0.2 | 2.5 | 6 |
A cup of tempeh or cottage cheese leads because the portion is large, not because either is concentrated; our soybeans and tofu guides cover the rest of the soy foods. Among animal foods, braised chuck, broiled sirloin, roasted chicken breast, pork, lamb and salmon sit within half a gram of each other per serving, as our chicken breast guide, salmon guide, sardines guide and tuna guide show for protein.
Leucine rich foods by food group
- Meat, poultry, fish and shellfish: USDA lists roughly 1.9 to 2.7 grams per 100 grams for cooked shrimp, cod, ground beef, turkey, sardines, tuna, chicken thigh, salmon, lamb, chicken breast, pork loin, sirloin and braised chuck.
- Soy and legumes: USDA lists tempeh at 1.4 grams per 100 grams, firm tofu at 1.4 and boiled soybeans at 1.4; boiled lentils, kidney beans and prepared edamame fall near 0.7.
- Dairy and eggs: hard Parmesan runs 3.5 grams per 100 grams in USDA data and Swiss cheese 3.0, with cheddar at 1.9; cottage cheese 1.0, skim-milk yogurt 0.6, Greek yogurt 0.5 and whole milk 0.3 come in larger portions. One large hard-boiled egg has about 0.5 grams.
- Nuts, seeds and grains: USDA lists roasted pumpkin seed kernels at 2.4 grams per 100 grams and dry roasted peanuts at 1.5; a cup of cooked oatmeal has about 0.5 grams.
Leucine travels with protein, so nearly every entry in our protein foods guide also counts among these leucine foods. MedlinePlus names leucine among the nine essential amino acids, with histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine, and states that essential amino acids must come from food because the body cannot make them.
Leucine as a share of protein
Dividing leucine by protein in SR Legacy shows how evenly it is spread. In USDA data leucine makes up about 11% of the protein in Swiss cheese, 10% in hard Parmesan, lowfat cottage cheese and skim-milk yogurt, 9% in whole milk, a hard-boiled egg, pork loin and shrimp, 8% in chicken breast, sirloin, braised chuck, salmon, tuna and tofu, 7% in boiled soybeans, tempeh and lentils, 6% in edamame and peanuts, and 3% in unsweetened gelatin, the lowest share in this list. Gelatin sits near the bottom of our sibling list of foods high in tryptophan for the same reason.
In USDA data, whey shows the same share as milk. The entry for dried sweet whey (FDC 171283) lists 1.2 grams of leucine per 100 grams with 13 grams of protein, about 9%, matching whole milk. SR Legacy has no entry for whey concentrates or isolates, so this list cannot rank them; our whey protein guide covers that form.
Leucine and HMB
The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position stand on HMB, written by Wilson and colleagues in 2013, states that HMB is naturally produced in animals and humans from the amino acid leucine: the first step is the reversible transamination of leucine to alpha-keto-isocaproate, and that compound is mostly metabolized along another path, with only approximately 5% of leucine being converted into HMB. What that compound does and does not do when sold on its own belongs to our HMB guide.
What the body does with this amino acid
Holecek’s 2018 review describes valine, leucine and isoleucine as the branched-chain amino acids, essential amino acids whose breakdown begins in skeletal muscle rather than in the organs that handle most other amino acids. That describes body chemistry, not an effect of any particular food. Our sibling list of foods high in glutamine explains why USDA reports a related amino acid under a different name.
Per serving versus per 100-gram numbers
The two number columns answer different questions. Per 100 grams shows how concentrated a food is, which is why hard cheeses and pumpkin seed kernels look strong; per serving shows what a typical USDA portion supplies, which is why a cup of tempeh, cottage cheese or soybeans rises to the top. The figures belong to the specific SR Legacy entries named in the table, and USDA values for other cuts, varieties and cooking methods differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which foods have the most leucine per serving?
In USDA SR Legacy data, a cup of tempeh (about 2.4 grams), a cup of lowfat cottage cheese (2.4), a cup of boiled soybeans (2.3) and a 3-ounce serving of braised beef chuck (2.3) lead this list.
Is there a %DV for leucine?
No. FDA’s labeling rule, 21 CFR 101.9, sets a Daily Value for protein but none for individual amino acids.
What are leucine rich foods for people who skip meat?
In USDA data, tempeh, boiled soybeans, firm tofu, cottage cheese, skim-milk yogurt, kidney beans, lentils, edamame, hard cheeses, eggs and pumpkin seed kernels all appear in the list above.
Which hard cheeses rank highest for leucine?
USDA lists hard Parmesan at 3.5 grams per 100 grams and Swiss cheese at 3.0; a 1-ounce portion supplies about 1.0 and 0.8 grams.
Does whey have more leucine than milk?
Not as a share of protein in USDA data: dried sweet whey and whole milk both run about 9%. SR Legacy has no entry for whey concentrates or isolates.
Does gelatin contain leucine?
USDA lists 2.5 grams per 100 grams of unsweetened gelatin powder, about 3% of its protein, the lowest share in this list; a 7-gram envelope supplies about 0.2 grams.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Foods High in Glutamine: What USDA Measures per Serving, High Protein Foods: USDA Values for Meat, Dairy and Plant Sources, HMB Supplement: Benefits, Side Effects and Evidence vs Creatine, Whey Protein: Isolate vs Concentrate, Benefits and Side Effects.