Flour vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Flour and Cooked Lentils
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
flour
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flour and lentils:
- Both flour and lentils are high in calories, dietary fiber and protein.
- Lentil has more Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Lentil is an excellent source of iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both flour and lentils are high in calories. Flour has 214% more calories than lentil - flour has 364 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, flour is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to lentils for fat. Flour has a macronutrient ratio of 12:86:2 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 12% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 67% |
| Fat | 2% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Flour is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 74% less carbohydrates than flour - flour has 76.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both flour and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 193% more dietary fiber than flour - flour has 2.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Flour and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - flour has 0.27g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both flour and lentils are high in protein. Flour has 15% more protein than lentil - flour has 10.3g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both flour and lentils are low in saturated fat - flour has 0.16g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than flour - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Flour and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flour has 0.06mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Flour and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more Vitamin B6 and folate. Both flour and lentils contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.12 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 1.25 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.438 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.044 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 26 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Flour and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 185% more iron than flour - flour has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 245% more potassium than flour - flour has 107mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both flour and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.022 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.022 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flour has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.391 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.391 G | 0.137 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Flour g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does flour or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both flour and lentils are high in calories. Flour has 210% more calories than lentil - flour has 364 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does flour or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, flour is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 70% fewer carbohydrates than flour - flour has 76.3g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does flour or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 190% more iron than flour - flour has 1.2mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does flour or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 250% more potassium than flour - flour has 107mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.