How Fattening Is Tempeh?

Tempeh is a fermented soy product. Versatile and nutritious, tempeh is a low-fat source of protein for vegetarians and people who choose to incorporate plant-based protein into their diets. Unlike tofu, tempeh has a firm texture and a mild, nutty flavor. A 1/2 cup serving has 9 g of fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is 14 percent of the established daily value for fat in the standard 2,000-calorie daily diet.

Tempeh Fat

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies foods that have 20 percent or more of a nutrient per serving as a high or nutrient-dense source. The total recommended fat for adults is 65 g or less daily. At 14 percent of the total recommended daily fat intake, tempeh does not have a high fat content. Its saturated fat content is 2 g per serving, or approximately 10 percent of the recommended daily value of 20 g. This serving has 2.5 g of monounsaturated fat, 3 g of polyunsaturated fat and no cholesterol.

Meat and Seafood Fat

Tempeh's fat content compares favorably with dairy products, meat and seafood. Compared with dairy products, the fat content of tempeh is approximately equal to 1 oz. of cheddar cheese or 1 cup of cottage cheese. The total fat is lower for a serving of tempeh than a 3 oz. serving of salmon, which has 9.3 g of fat, and 3 oz. of sardines, at 9.7 g of fat. Tempeh has a higher fat content per serving than half of a fried chicken breast with the skin, which has 8.7 g of fat. It is lower in fat than a serving of shrimp or scallops, which have 10 g each.

Plant Protein Fat

Compared with other plant proteins, such as nuts and seeds, tempeh has less fat per serving than 1 oz. of macadamia nuts, at 22 g of fat, pecans, at 21 g, pine nuts and brazil nut, each at 19 g each; and walnuts, at 18 g. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas has 4 g of fat, or approximately half the fat of a 1/2 cup of tempeh. Miso, a soy protein, also has 4 g of fat per cup, compared with tempeh's 9 g per half-cup.

Tempeh Macronutrient Profile

A 1/2-cup serving of tempeh has 160 calories. The calories equal 8 percent of the daily total for the standard 2,000-calorie diet. The 1/2-cup serving has 15 g protein, or 30 percent of the daily value, or DV, for adults. The carbohydrate content is 16 g per serving, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This amount only equals 5 percent of the DV for carbs, making tempeh a poor source for this nutrient.