Foods Highest in Lysine

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

Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) ranks #1 of 50 for Lysine, at 6.7G per 100g.

What These Lysine Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for Lysine, 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 Lysine, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native), delivering 6.7G per 100g. The top three (Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native), Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native), Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced) 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 Lysine sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) 6.7 G -
2 Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 6.3 G -
3 Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 5.9 G -
4 Fish, cod, Atlantic, dried and salted 5.8 G -
5 Egg, white, dried 5.5 G -
6 Soy protein isolate 5.3 G -
7 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 5.3 G -
8 Egg, white, dried, powder, stabilized, glucose reduced 5.1 G -
9 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, partially dried (Alaska Native) 5.1 G -
10 Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native) 4.8 G -
11 Egg, white, dried, flakes, stabilized, glucose reduced 4.7 G -
12 Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction 3.9 G -
13 Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash 3.9 G -
14 Cheese, parmesan, shredded 3.8 G -
15 Smelt, dried (Alaska Native) 3.7 G -
16 Beef, round, top round roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.6 G -
17 Beef, round, eye of round roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.6 G -
18 Beef, loin, top sirloin filet, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.6 G -
19 Beverages, Protein powder soy based 3.6 G -
20 Beef, plate steak, boneless, inside skirt, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.5 G -
21 Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved 3.5 G -
22 Gelatins, dry powder, unsweetened 3.5 G -
23 Beef, round, top round steak, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, grilled 3.4 G -
24 Beef, top loin filet, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.4 G -
25 Beef, loin, top loin steak, boneless, lip-on, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.4 G -
26 Beef, loin, top loin steak, boneless, lip off, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.4 G -
27 Beef, round, eye of round steak, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.4 G -
28 Beef, loin, top sirloin petite roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.4 G -
29 Beef, rib, back ribs, bone-in, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, braised 3.4 G -
30 Beef, rib eye steak, boneless, lip-on, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.3 G -
31 Beef, rib eye steak, boneless, lip off, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.3 G -
32 Egg, whole, dried 3.3 G -
33 Beef, round, top round steak, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, choice, cooked, grilled 3.3 G -
34 Beef, rib eye roast, boneless, lip-on, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.3 G -
35 Cheese, parmesan, hard 3.3 G -
36 Beef, plate steak, boneless, outside skirt, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.3 G -
37 Beef, top loin petite roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.3 G -
38 Leavening agents, yeast, baker's, active dry 3.3 G -
39 Beef, ribeye petite roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.3 G -
40 Beef, loin, top sirloin cap steak, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.3 G -
41 Beef, round, top round roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, roasted 3.3 G -
42 Egg, whole, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 3.3 G -
43 Game meat, beaver, cooked, roasted 3.2 G -
44 Beef, loin, tenderloin steak, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.2 G -
45 Beef, round, eye of round roast, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, roasted 3.2 G -
46 Beef, rib eye steak, bone-in, lip-on, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.2 G -
47 Beef, loin, top sirloin filet, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, grilled 3.2 G -
48 Beef, round, top round steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.2 G -
49 Beef, ribeye filet, boneless, separable lean only, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, grilled 3.2 G -
50 Beef, loin, tenderloin roast, separable lean only, boneless, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, roasted 3.2 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in Lysine?

Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) is the food highest in Lysine, with 6.7G per 100g.

How much Lysine do I need per day?

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

What are good whole food sources of Lysine?

Top whole food sources of Lysine include Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native), Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native), Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced, 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 — Lysine (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.