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Foods high in Tryptophan

Top food sources of the amino acid Tryptophan, ranked per 100 g and per serving.

Showing top 20 foods

Per 100 g: g

  1. 1

    Sea lion, Steller, meat with fat (Alaska Native)

    1,6 g/ 100 g
  2. 2

    Egg, white, dried

    1,43 g/ 100 g1,53 g (107 g serving)
  3. 3

    Egg, white, dried

    1,27 g/ 100 g1,36 g (107 g serving)
  4. 4

    Sea lion, Steller

    1,2 g/ 100 g
  5. 5

    Egg, white, dried

    1,18 g/ 100 g0,34 g (28 g serving)
  6. 6

    Soy protein isolate

    1,12 g/ 100 g0,32 g (28 g serving)
  7. 7

    Soy protein isolate, potassium type

    1,12 g/ 100 g0,32 g (28 g serving)
  8. 8

    Seeds, sesame flour

    1,1 g/ 100 g0,31 g (28 g serving)
  9. 9

    Egg, white, dried

    1 g/ 100 g0,28 g (28 g serving)
  10. 10

    Seaweed, spirulina, dried

    0,93 g/ 100 g1,04 g (112 g serving)
  11. 11

    Seeds, sesame flour

    0,88 g/ 100 g0,25 g (28 g serving)
  12. 12

    Soy protein concentrate, produced by alcohol extraction

    0,84 g/ 100 g0,24 g (28 g serving)
  13. 13

    Soy protein concentrate, produced by acid wash

    0,84 g/ 100 g0,24 g (28 g serving)
  14. 14

    Whale, beluga, meat, dried (Alaska Native)

    0,8 g/ 100 g0,36 g (45 g serving)
  15. 15

    Seal, bearded (Oogruk), meat, dried (Alaska Native)

    0,8 g/ 100 g
  16. 16

    Egg, whole, dried

    0,78 g/ 100 g0,66 g (85 g serving)
  17. 17

    Egg, whole, dried

    0,77 g/ 100 g0,66 g (85 g serving)
  18. 18

    Winged beans, mature seeds, raw

    0,76 g/ 100 g1,39 g (182 g serving)
  19. 19

    Seeds, cottonseed flour

    0,75 g/ 100 g0,21 g (28 g serving)
  20. 20

    Tofu, dried-frozen (koyadofu)

    0,75 g/ 100 g0,13 g (17 g serving)

How to add more Tryptophan to your diet

A simple three-step routine to consistently meet your Tryptophan target without overhauling your meals.

  1. 1

    Pick a tryptophan-rich protein at dinner

    Choose a dense source: 100 g of turkey breast (~310 mg tryptophan), chicken (~290 mg), salmon (~280 mg), tuna (~330 mg), lean pork (~340 mg), or 30 g hard cheese like Parmesan (~140 mg/30 g). A single 100-150 g serving covers the adult RDA in one meal.

  2. 2

    Pair with complex carbohydrates

    Eating tryptophan with a starchy carbohydrate (oats, brown rice, sweet potato, whole-grain bread) raises the insulin response, which clears competing large neutral amino acids from the bloodstream and helps tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier to convert to serotonin (Wurtman & Wurtman, 1995). This is why a turkey-and-rice dinner produces more drowsiness than turkey alone.

  3. 3

    Track and adjust with your meal plan

    Use Melio to log meals and check the daily tryptophan total. Aim for at least 5 mg per kg of body weight per day (Institute of Medicine DRI, 2005) — about 350 mg for a 70 kg adult. If you fall short, add a snack of pumpkin seeds (~580 mg/100 g), Greek yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg in the late afternoon. [verify with RDN]

Why Tryptophan matters

Foods highest in tryptophan are pumpkin seeds (~580 mg/100 g), Parmesan and hard cheeses (~480 mg/100 g), lean pork (~340 mg/100 g), tuna (~330 mg/100 g), turkey (~310 mg/100 g), chicken (~290 mg/100 g), salmon (~280 mg/100 g), eggs (~170 mg/100 g), and soy products like tofu and tempeh. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid your body uses as a precursor for serotonin (the neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and satiety), melatonin (the sleep hormone, synthesized from serotonin), and niacin (vitamin B3). It is the least abundant of the essential amino acids in most proteins, which is why protein quality calculations sometimes flag it as the limiting amino acid. The Institute of Medicine sets the adult RDA at 5 mg per kg of body weight per day — about 350 mg for a 70 kg adult, comfortably covered by a 100-150 g portion of poultry, fish, or pork plus normal background protein. The well-known sleepy feeling after a turkey dinner is largely explained by the accompanying carbohydrates increasing tryptophan uptake into the brain, not by turkey itself.

Daily intake reference

Adult Daily Value (DV)0.4 g per day

Signs of low intake

Low tryptophan intake reduces serotonin synthesis and can manifest as low mood, increased anxiety, sleep disturbance, and carbohydrate cravings. Experimental acute tryptophan depletion is used in research to trigger transient mood drops in people predisposed to depression. Chronic severe deficiency contributes to pellagra (the classic niacin-deficiency disease), historically seen in corn-based diets where dietary niacin is also bound and biologically unavailable. Most people eating a varied diet meet tryptophan needs comfortably, but very low-protein diets, calorie-restricted weight-loss plans, and low-protein vegan or fruitarian patterns can fall short. [verify with RDN]

Best for these diets

Tryptophan is well-represented in these dietary patterns — lean proteins, dairy, soy, and seed-rich plant plates:

Frequently asked questions about Tryptophan

What food has the most tryptophan?
Per USDA FoodData Central, the densest sources per 100 g are pumpkin seeds (~580 mg), spirulina dried (~930 mg/100 g but 10 g typical serving), Parmesan cheese (~480 mg/100 g), soy protein isolate (~800 mg/100 g), lean pork (~340 mg), tuna (~330 mg), turkey breast (~310 mg), chicken (~290 mg), salmon (~280 mg), eggs (~170 mg), and tofu (~150 mg). Turkey is famous but not actually the top whole-food source — chicken and tuna are roughly equivalent, and pork and seeds are higher. [verify with USDA FDC]
How much tryptophan do I need per day?
The adult RDA is 5 mg of tryptophan per kilogram of body weight per day (Institute of Medicine, DRI for Protein and Amino Acids, 2005) — about 350 mg for a 70 kg adult. Most varied diets exceed this comfortably; very low-protein or restrictive plant-based diets are the patterns most likely to fall short. [verify with RDN]
Is tryptophan supplementation safe?
Free L-tryptophan and 5-HTP supplements are sold widely and typically dosed at 500 mg-3 g/day. Both can interact with antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs) and other serotonergic medications, increasing risk of serotonin syndrome. Tryptophan supplementation should only be used under medical supervision; food sources fully cover daily needs for almost everyone. [verify with RDN]
Do vegans get enough tryptophan?
Yes, with attention to legumes and seeds. Soy products (tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, oats, lentils, and spirulina all supply meaningful tryptophan. A vegan day that includes ~150 g of tofu plus ~30 g of pumpkin seeds typically clears the 350 mg target for a 70 kg adult. The pattern most likely to fall short is a low-calorie vegan diet built around fruit and refined grains.
What does tryptophan do in the body?
Tryptophan is the dietary precursor for serotonin (a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, appetite, and satiety), melatonin (the sleep hormone, made from serotonin), and niacin (vitamin B3, synthesized from tryptophan when dietary niacin is limited). Adequate intake supports mood, sleep quality, and B3 status.
Tryptophan vs serotonin: what is the difference?
Tryptophan is the amino acid you eat; serotonin is the neurotransmitter your body makes from it. You cannot eat serotonin and have it act in the brain — serotonin does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Eating tryptophan-rich foods, especially with complex carbohydrates that boost insulin, supports serotonin synthesis in the central nervous system.
Can tryptophan help with sleep?
Indirectly, yes. Tryptophan converts to serotonin and then to melatonin, the hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Including a tryptophan-rich evening meal with complex carbohydrates may modestly support sleep onset, though the effect is small compared with consistent sleep timing, light exposure during the day, and limiting caffeine after noon. [verify with RDN]
Why does turkey make people sleepy?
The drowsiness after a turkey-heavy meal is mostly explained by the accompanying carbohydrates and total meal size, not the turkey alone. Turkey contains roughly the same tryptophan as chicken (~290-310 mg/100 g). The carbs trigger insulin, which clears competing large neutral amino acids from the bloodstream and helps tryptophan reach the brain. Heavy fat and a 1,500-2,500 kcal Thanksgiving plate also redirect blood flow to digestion.

Scenarios that emphasize Tryptophan

These meal-planning scenarios prioritize Tryptophan intake:

Explore other nutrients

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