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Food Sources High in Threonine

Threonine is found in meat and meat products, fish, dairy products, eggs, and vegetarian sources. Wheat germ, many nuts, beans, seeds and vegetables also contain threonine but to a small level.

Research shows that mean requirement of threonine for healthy adults is 15 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.


Table: List of foods containing amino acid threonine (ordered high to low, grams/100 grams food portion).

Threonine Food SourcesThreonine content in grams/100 grams food
Sesame flour, low fat 2.08
Soybeans, mature seeds, raw 1.59
Cheese, parmesan 1.07
Cheese, swiss 1.04
Pork, Leg sirloin tip roast, boneless, raw 1.01
Salami, Italian, pork 1.01
Lentils, raw 1.01
Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk 0.98
Cowpea, catjang, mature seeds, raw 0.91
Beef, round, top round, trimmed to 1/8" fat, raw 0.89
Peanuts, all types, raw 0.88
Beef, top sirloin, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, raw 0.88
Fish, salmon, pink, raw 0.87
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, raw 0.83
Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw 0.82
Flax seed, raw 0.77
Chicken, broilers or fryers, wing, meat and skin, raw 0.74
Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from raw and stone ground kernels 0.74
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw 0.72
Egg, yolk, raw, fresh 0.69
Nuts, almonds 0.68
Nuts, walnuts, english 0.60
Sausage, Italian, pork, raw 0.56
Egg, whole, raw, fresh 0.56
Egg, white, raw, fresh 0.45
Milk, sheep, fluid 0.27
Pork, fresh, separable fat, raw 0.20
Hummus 0.18
Milk, goat, fluid 0.16
Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat 0.14
Soy milk, fluid 0.14
Asparagus 0.08
Snap beans, green, raw 0.08
Milk, human, mature, fluid 0.05

Data source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 19 (2006).