Foods Highest in Tryptophan

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

Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native) ranks #1 of 50 for Tryptophan, at 1.6G per 100g.

What These Tryptophan Rankings Mean

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

At the top of the ranking sits Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native), delivering 1.6G per 100g. The top three (Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native), Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced, Egg, white, dried, powder, 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 Tryptophan sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native) 1.6 G -
2 Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 1.4 G -
3 Egg, white, dried, powder, stabilized, glucose reduced 1.3 G -
4 Sea lion, Steller, kidney (Alaska Native) 1.2 G -
5 Egg, white, dried, flakes, stabilized, glucose reduced 1.2 G -
6 Soy protein isolate 1.1 G -
7 Soy protein isolate, potassium type 1.1 G -
8 Seeds, sesame flour, low-fat 1.1 G -
9 Egg, white, dried 1.00 G -
10 Seaweed, spirulina, dried 0.93 G -
11 Seeds, sesame flour, partially defatted 0.88 G -
12 Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction 0.83 G -
13 Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash 0.83 G -
14 Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native) 0.80 G -
15 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native) 0.80 G -
16 Egg, whole, dried 0.78 G -
17 Egg, whole, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced 0.77 G -
18 Winged beans, mature seeds, raw 0.76 G -
19 Seeds, cottonseed flour, low fat (glandless) 0.75 G -
20 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu) 0.75 G -
21 Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu), prepared with calcium sulfate 0.75 G -
22 Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) 0.74 G -
23 Seeds, sunflower seed flour, partially defatted 0.73 G -
24 Beverages, Protein powder soy based 0.72 G -
25 Fish, cod, Atlantic, dried and salted 0.70 G -
26 Soy flour, defatted 0.68 G -
27 Seeds, sesame flour, high-fat 0.67 G -
28 Soy meal, defatted, raw 0.65 G -
29 Pork, fresh, variety meats and by-products, pancreas, cooked, braised 0.63 G -
30 Seeds, cottonseed flour, partially defatted (glandless) 0.62 G -
31 Mollusks, whelk, unspecified, cooked, moist heat 0.62 G -
32 Flour, soy, defatted 0.62 G -
33 Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, partially dried (Alaska Native) 0.60 G -
34 Soybeans, mature seeds, raw 0.59 G -
35 Fish, whitefish, dried (Alaska Native) 0.58 G -
36 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried 0.58 G -
37 Soybeans, mature seeds, dry roasted 0.57 G -
38 Meat extender 0.57 G -
39 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, with salt added 0.57 G -
40 Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt 0.57 G -
41 Cheese, parmesan, shredded 0.56 G -
42 Cheese, mozzarella, low moisture, part-skim 0.55 G -
43 Cheese, cheddar (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) 0.55 G -
44 Game meat, elk, cooked, roasted 0.55 G -
45 Leavening agents, yeast, baker's, active dry 0.54 G -
46 Parsley, freeze-dried 0.52 G -
47 Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk 0.52 G -
48 Soybeans, mature seeds, roasted, salted 0.51 G -
49 Soybeans, mature seeds, roasted, no salt added 0.51 G -
50 Smelt, dried (Alaska Native) 0.51 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in Tryptophan?

Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native) is the food highest in Tryptophan, with 1.6G per 100g.

How much Tryptophan do I need per day?

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

What are good whole food sources of Tryptophan?

Top whole food sources of Tryptophan include Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native), Egg, white, dried, stabilized, glucose reduced, Egg, white, dried, powder, 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 — Tryptophan (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.