Lentils vs. Asparagus
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Asparagus
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
asparagus
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and asparagus:
- Both asparagus and lentils are high in dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Asparagus has 4.1 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Lentil has more pantothenic acid and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and asparagus has 83% less calories than lentil - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to asparagus for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for asparagus, 34:61:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 61% |
| Fat | 3% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Asparagus has 4.1 times less carbohydrates than lentil - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both asparagus and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 276% more dietary fiber than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 310% more protein than asparagus - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and lentils are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Asparagus has 273% more Vitamin C than lentil - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Asparagus has more Vitamin A than lentil - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has 23 times more Vitamin K than lentil - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more pantothenic acid and folate. Both lentils and asparagus contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.143 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.141 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.978 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.274 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 52 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Asparagus and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Both asparagus and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 56% more iron than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both asparagus and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 83% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Lentils | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 449 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 9 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 710 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.01 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.04 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.04 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.
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Asparagus 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 asparagus or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and asparagus has 80% less calories than lentil - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is asparagus or lentils better for protein?
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 310% more protein than asparagus - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does asparagus or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus has 4.1 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does asparagus or lentils contain more iron?
Both asparagus and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 60% more iron than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does asparagus or lentils contain more potassium?
Both asparagus and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 80% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.