Foods Highest in Arginine

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Top 50 whole foods per 100g, from USDA Standard Reference and Foundation databases

Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat ranks #1 of 50 for Arginine, at 7.4G per 100g.

What These Arginine Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for Arginine, pulled from USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Those two sources intentionally exclude branded and processed entries, which keeps the list focused on raw ingredients where nutrient content reflects the food itself rather than fortification or recipe adjustments. There is no established FDA Daily Value for Arginine, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat, delivering 7.4G per 100g. The top three (Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat, Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless), Soy protein isolate) together form a practical "big lever" set, foods where a single serving meaningfully moves daily intake. The visual bars beside each row scale against the top food, so you can see at a glance whether a lower-ranked food is still a strong source or a distant runner-up.

Because this page excludes branded products, it is the right tool for comparing whole-food cooking choices rather than packaged-food shopping decisions, for those, the per-food pages and the branded search tools cover the same nutrient at product level. All values are reported per 100g edible portion, which means the raw numbers can be directly compared but real-world servings differ (a 100g portion of spinach is very different from 100g of almonds by volume). The nutrition guides linked below explain how to translate % DV and per-100g figures into practical daily targets and how to read nutrition labels when comparing whole foods to their processed equivalents.

→ Compare the top three Arginine sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat 7.4 G -
2 Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) 6.7 G -
3 Soy protein isolate 6.7 G -
4 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 6.7 G -
5 Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) 6.6 G -
6 Gelatins, dry powder, unsweetened 6.6 G -
7 Peanut flour, defatted 6.2 G -
8 Seeds, sesame flour, partially defatted 6.0 G -
9 Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless) 5.5 G -
10 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried 5.4 G -
11 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added 5.3 G -
12 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt 5.3 G -
13 Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted 5.1 G -
14 Mollusks, whelk, unspecified, cooked, moist heat 4.9 G -
15 Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried 4.9 G -
16 Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 4.9 G -
17 Nuts, butternuts, dried 4.9 G -
18 Snacks, pork skins, plain 4.8 G -
19 Egg, white, dried, powder, stabilized, glucose reduced 4.8 G -
20 Gelatin desserts, dry mix, reduced calorie, with aspartame, added phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin C 4.8 G -
21 Gelatin desserts, dry mix, reduced calorie, with aspartame, no added sodium 4.8 G -
22 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) 4.7 G -
23 Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction 4.6 G -
24 Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash 4.6 G -
25 Seeds, sesame flour, high-fat 4.6 G -
26 Seeds, hemp seed, hulled 4.5 G -
27 Snacks, pork skins, barbecue-flavor 4.5 G -
28 Egg, white, dried, flakes, stabilized, glucose reduced 4.5 G -
29 Egg, white, dried 4.4 G -
30 Seeds, cottonseed kernels, roasted (glandless) 4.4 G -
31 Beverages, Protein powder soy based 4.3 G -
32 Seaweed, spirulina, dried 4.1 G -
33 Peanut flour, low fat 4.0 G -
34 Flour, soy, defatted 3.9 G -
35 Lupins, mature seeds, raw 3.9 G -
36 Seeds, safflower seed meal, partially defatted 3.9 G -
37 Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 3.8 G -
38 Fish, cod, Atlantic, dried and salted 3.8 G -
39 Soy flour, defatted 3.6 G -
40 Nuts, walnuts, black, dried 3.6 G -
41 Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native) 3.6 G -
42 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, partially dried (Alaska Native) 3.5 G -
43 Soy meal, defatted, raw 3.5 G -
44 Sea lion, Steller, liver (Alaska Native) 3.4 G -
45 Spices, garlic powder 3.4 G -
46 Peanuts, spanish, oil-roasted, with salt 3.3 G -
47 Peanuts, spanish, oil-roasted, without salt 3.3 G -
48 Peanut butter, creamy 3.3 G -
49 Seeds, sesame seed kernels, dried (decorticated) 3.3 G -
50 Peanuts, all types, oil-roasted, with salt 3.2 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in Arginine?

Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat is the food highest in Arginine, with 7.4G per 100g.

How much Arginine do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for Arginine. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of Arginine?

Top whole food sources of Arginine include Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat, Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless), Soy protein isolate, and more. These rankings are based on USDA Standard Reference and Foundation food data, measured per 100g edible portion.

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Branded and processed products are excluded. All values per 100g edible portion.
Source: FDA Daily Value reference — Arginine (no established DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.