Head-to-head comparison

Pea Protein Isolate vs Tempeh: Which Has More Protein?

Pea Protein Isolate and Tempeh show up in a lot of the same meal-planning conversations, and the honest comparison depends on which specific number you're optimizing for.

Pea Protein Isolate

80.0gprotein / 100g

375 cal · 6.0g fat · $$ · Quality 0.82

Tempeh

19.0gprotein / 100g

192 cal · 11.0g fat · $$ · Quality 0.85

This isn't close. Pea Protein Isolate packs 80.0g of protein per 100g against Tempeh's 19.0g — a 61.0g gap driven mostly by how concentrated or diluted each food naturally is.

Neither has a meaningful edge on protein quality; they're close enough on amino acid profile that it isn't a differentiator here.

Cost is roughly comparable between the two ($$), so budget isn't the deciding factor here.

Pea Protein Isolate's typical serving also delivers more leucine (2100mg vs Tempeh's 1450mg) — relevant if the goal is maximizing the muscle-protein-synthesis trigger per meal, not just total grams.

Verdict

If raw protein density is what you're optimizing for, Pea Protein Isolate wins clearly. Choose Tempeh instead if its lower fat, cost, or prep time matters more to you than the extra grams.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gPea Protein IsolateTempeh
Protein80.0g19.0g
Calories375192
Fat6.0g11.0g
Carbs5.0g9.4g
Fiber4.0g9.0g
Quality score0.820.85
Relative cost$$$$
Prep time1 min15 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, pea protein isolate or tempeh?

Pea Protein Isolate has 80.0g of protein per 100g compared to Tempeh's 19.0g.

Which is lower in calories?

Tempeh is lower in calories per 100g, at 192 vs the other's 375.