Top 35 Foods Highest in Lysine Per 100 Calories (Nutrient Density)

Maximize Lysine (g) while staying in a calorie deficit: USDA foods ranked by Lysine delivered per 100 kcal of energy. Essential amino acid required for collagen cross-linking, calcium absorption, and carnitine synthesis.

USDA Leaderboard: Top 35 Foods Highest in Lysine Per 100 Calories (Nutrient Density)

Click any food below to open its full 100+ nutrient profile (including 22 vitamins, 11 minerals, amino acids, omega-3s, PRAL acid load, and WHO baby feeding age). Top food in this category: Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat (2.13 g per 100g).

Rank	USDA Food Item	Lysine / 100g	% Daily Value	Per 100 kcal	Calories & Protein
#1	Fish, haddock, cooked, dry heat	2.13 g	100%	2.36 g	90 kcal · 20g P
#2	Fish, haddock, raw	1.74 g	82.7%	2.35 g	74 kcal · 16.3g P
#3	Turkey, retail parts, breast, meat only, raw	2.41 g	100%	2.11 g	114 kcal · 23.3g P
#4	Fish, halibut, Atlantic and Pacific, raw	1.91 g	91%	2.1 g	91 kcal · 18.6g P
#5	Turkey, retail parts, wing, meat only, raw	2.32 g	100%	2.07 g	112 kcal · 22.5g P
#6	Fish, cod, Pacific, raw (may have been previously frozen)	1.4 g	66.6%	2.03 g	69 kcal · 15.3g P
#7	Fish, pike, northern, raw	1.77 g	84.2%	2.01 g	88 kcal · 19.3g P
#8	Fish, rockfish, Pacific, mixed species, raw	1.81 g	86.1%	2.01 g	90 kcal · 18.4g P
#9	Fish, cusk, raw	1.74 g	83%	2 g	87 kcal · 19g P
#10	Fish, ling, raw	1.74 g	83%	2 g	87 kcal · 19g P
#11	Fish, sunfish, pumpkin seed, raw	1.78 g	84.9%	2 g	89 kcal · 19.4g P
#12	Fish, mahimahi, raw	1.7 g	80.9%	2 g	85 kcal · 18.5g P
#13	Fish, pollock, Alaska, raw (may contain additives to retain moisture)	1.12 g	53.2%	2 g	56 kcal · 12.2g P
#14	Fish, cod, Atlantic, raw	1.64 g	77.9%	1.99 g	82 kcal · 17.8g P
#15	Game meat, moose, raw	2.02 g	96.1%	1.98 g	102 kcal · 22.2g P
#16	Fish, burbot, raw	1.77 g	84.5%	1.97 g	90 kcal · 19.3g P
#17	Fish, tuna, fresh, yellowfin, raw	2.15 g	100%	1.97 g	109 kcal · 24.4g P
#18	Fish, tuna, fresh, skipjack, raw	2.02 g	96.2%	1.96 g	103 kcal · 22g P
#19	Fish, roughy, orange, raw	1.49 g	71%	1.96 g	76 kcal · 16.4g P
#20	Fish, perch, mixed species, raw	1.78 g	84.8%	1.96 g	91 kcal · 19.4g P
#21	Fish, pollock, Atlantic, raw	1.79 g	85%	1.94 g	92 kcal · 19.4g P
#22	Fish, pout, ocean, raw	1.53 g	72.8%	1.93 g	79 kcal · 16.6g P
#23	Fish, grouper, mixed species, raw	1.78 g	84.7%	1.93 g	92 kcal · 19.4g P
#24	Game meat, elk, raw	2.13 g	100%	1.92 g	111 kcal · 22.9g P
#25	Fish, lingcod, raw	1.62 g	77.2%	1.91 g	85 kcal · 17.7g P
#26	Fish, pike, walleye, raw	1.76 g	83.7%	1.89 g	93 kcal · 19.1g P
#27	Fish, tilapia, raw	1.81 g	86.2%	1.89 g	96 kcal · 20.1g P
#28	Fish, snapper, mixed species, raw	1.88 g	89.7%	1.88 g	100 kcal · 20.5g P
#29	Turkey, ground, fat free, raw	2.1 g	100%	1.88 g	112 kcal · 23.6g P
#30	Turkey, ground, fat free, pan-broiled crumbles	2.83 g	100%	1.88 g	151 kcal · 31.7g P
#31	Fish, whiting, mixed species, raw	1.68 g	80.1%	1.87 g	90 kcal · 18.3g P
#32	Fish, ocean perch, Atlantic, raw	1.46 g	69.7%	1.85 g	79 kcal · 15.3g P
#33	Turkey, retail parts, thigh, meat only, raw	2.12 g	100%	1.83 g	116 kcal · 20.6g P
#34	Fish, flatfish (flounder and sole species), raw	1.27 g	60.5%	1.81 g	70 kcal · 12.4g P
#35	Fish, tilapia, cooked, dry heat	2.31 g	100%	1.81 g	128 kcal · 26.1g P

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