Protein rich microgreens: pea, lentil, chickpea, and sunflower

Pea comes out on top in the closest thing to a measured protein ranking of microgreens that we could find: a 2025 study in Scientific Reports put pea microgreens at 200 mg of phenylalanine per 100 g — phenylalanine tracks protein — ahead of garden cress at 150 mg, sunflower at 140 mg and radish at 100 mg. Lentil microgreens have no published protein measurement that we could locate at all, and in a 2023 four-crop comparison the highest protein content was in bathua at 3.40%, not in the chickpea microgreens grown alongside it. What follows is what has actually been measured for pea, lentil, chickpea and sunflower, and where the numbers run out.

Among the most notable are the young sprouts of pea, lentil, chickpea, and sunflower, varieties that mainly belong to the legume family or come from seeds naturally rich in protein. These microgreens can add extra nutritional value to salads, plant based dishes, and healthy preparations.

Why protein matters in microgreens

Proteins are essential macronutrients for the human body, as they play a key role in the formation of tissues, enzymes, and hormones. While vegetables generally contain moderate amounts of protein, certain seeds and legumes have significantly higher levels.

When these seeds germinate and develop into microgreens, they retain part of this protein content along with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. Germination also tends to make legume protein easier to digest: a 2023 review in Molecules describes how germinating legume seeds lower their protease-inhibitor levels, activate proteases and break down storage proteins, so that the net effect is usually improved digestibility — though the review is explicit that the size of that improvement is species- and strain-dependent, and it concerns germinating seeds rather than microgreens specifically.

Pea microgreens

Pea shoots are among the most popular microgreens for both home growers and commercial producers.

They come from the species Pisum sativum, a legume widely cultivated around the world. Their sprouts have tender stems and delicate leaves with a mild flavor reminiscent of fresh peas.

Pea microgreens are valued for a good content of plant based protein, the presence of fiber and vitamins and a sweet and pleasant flavor.

Thanks to their crunchy texture, they are often used in salads, grain bowls, stir fries, or as garnishes for fish and meat dishes.

Lentil microgreens

The lentil, belonging to the species Lens culinaris, is well known for its high protein content among legumes.

When grown as a microgreen, lentils produce small and tender sprouts with a mild, slightly vegetal flavor. These sprouts retain part of the legume’s characteristic nutritional profile, including protein, iron, and minerals.

Lentil microgreens can be incorporated into fresh salads, wraps, sandwiches and mixed sprout blends.

Their cultivation is also typically fast and simple, making them an attractive option for microgreen producers.

Chickpea microgreens

Chickpeas are another legume highly valued for their protein content and their role in the traditional diets of many cultures. They belong to the species Cicer arietinum.

Their microgreens produce sturdy stems and small leaves with a mild flavor that slightly resembles fresh chickpeas.

Among their main characteristics are plant based protein content, fiber and mineral content and a firm texture.

Although they are less common in the market than other microgreens, chickpea sprouts represent an interesting option for diversifying crop offerings.

Sunflower microgreens

Sunflower microgreens come from the plant Helianthus annuus, well known for its nutritious seeds.

These sprouts are especially appreciated for their high nutritional value and crunchy texture. They have a mild flavor with subtle nutty notes.

Their key characteristics include a good protein content, the presence of healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Sunflower microgreens are widely used in salads, sandwiches, vegan dishes, and vegetable or grain bowls.

What the measurements actually show

This is the part most articles about protein rich microgreens skip, so here it is with the numbers we could actually find.

The most directly useful dataset comes from an unexpected place: a 2025 study in Scientific Reports that profiled 28 foods for people on a phenylalanine restricted diet for phenylketonuria. Because phenylalanine tracks protein, its per species figures are the closest thing to a measured ranking of microgreens by protein that we have found. Pea microgreens came out highest at 200 mg phenylalanine per 100 g, ahead of garden cress at 150 mg and sunflower at 140 mg, with radish at 100 mg and broccoli at 97 mg. Pea and sunflower, two of the four crops in this article, do sit at the upper end.

Two caveats, and they matter. First, we found no published measurement of protein in lentil microgreens specifically, so the lentil section above rests on what is known about the seed, not the seedling. Second, being a legume is not what puts a microgreen at the top of the table. A 2023 study in ACS Omega comparing four microgreens found the highest protein content in bathua (Chenopodium album) at 3.40%, not in the Bengal gram (chickpea) microgreens grown alongside it. And a 2025 profile of Brassicaceae microgreens in our Science Library reported 40 to 44% protein in kale and Sango radish, but on a dry matter basis, which cannot be set beside a fresh weight figure without doing the arithmetic first.

The practical conclusion is smaller than the headline. These four crops are a reasonable choice if protein is what you are after; a garnish sized portion will not move your daily intake much; and the idea that legume microgreens are the protein rich ones is not what the published measurements say.

Advantages of protein rich microgreens

Incorporating microgreens from legumes or protein-rich seeds into the diet can provide several benefits, such as increasing the nutritional density of dishes, providing additional plant based protein, adding variety in flavors and textures and being easy to include in vegetarian or vegan diets.

Their cultivation is also usually fast and productive, making them attractive for producers.

A growing trend

Interest in plant-based proteins is increasing worldwide, driven by changes in eating habits and the search for more sustainable diets. In this context, protein rich microgreens offer a fresh and nutritious alternative that can complement other plant protein sources.

As research on microgreens continues to advance and consumers discover new varieties, it is likely that pea, lentil, chickpea, and sunflower microgreens will gain greater prominence both in home cooking and in professional gastronomy.

Sources

Bera, I., O’Sullivan, M., Flynn, D., & Shields, D. C. (2023). Relationship between protein digestibility and the proteolysis of legume proteins during seed germination. Molecules, 28(7), 3204. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28073204

Sanyukta, Brar, D. S., Pant, K., Kaur, S., Nanda, V., Nayik, G. A., Ramniwas, S., Rasane, P., & Ercisli, S. (2023). Comprehensive analysis of physicochemical, functional, thermal, and morphological properties of microgreens from different botanical sources. ACS Omega, 8(32), 29558–29567. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c03429

Vučetić, A., Šovljanski, O., Pezo, L., Gligorijević, N., Kostić, S., Vulić, J., & Čanadanović-Brunet, J. (2025). A comprehensive antioxidant and nutritional profiling of Brassicaceae microgreens. Antioxidants, 14(2), 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14020191

Lubina, O., Daly, A., Auzenbaha, M., Gailite, L., Laktina, S., & Macdonald, A. (2025). Nutritional profiling of foods for Phenylketonuria. Scientific Reports, 15, 22538. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-06633-2

In July 2026 we removed three entries from this list: a Healthline article, a WebMD article, and an auto-generated ScienceDirect topic page. None of them is a primary source, and we do not use consumer health publishers to support nutritional claims. See our editorial standards.

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The science on lentil

Studies from our Science Library that concern lentil microgreens, in plain language with links to the original research. This list updates automatically as new studies are added.

Lentil in the kitchen

Recipes and kitchen ideas from our cookbook team that use lentil microgreens.

Growing a different crop next? Every variety has a guide like this one in the Varieties database.