Beef vs. Lentils

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Cooked Lentils


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked beef versus cooked lentils (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and lentils:

  • Both beef and lentils are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, beef contains more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B12.
  • Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beef and lentils is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beef src
Image of Lentils src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between beef and lentils. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both beef and lentils are high in calories. Beef has 139% more calories than lentil - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beef is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to lentils per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beef Lentils
Protein 38% 30%
Carbohydrates ~ 67%
Fat 62% 3%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Beef has less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

dietary fiber

Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Beef has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both beef and lentils are high in protein. Beef has 181% more protein than lentil - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Beef is high in saturated fat and lentil has 99% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Lentil has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Lentil has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Lentil has more Vitamin C than beef - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, beef contains more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B12. Both beef and lentils contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Beef Lentils
Thiamin 0.051 MG 0.169 MG
Riboflavin 0.176 MG 0.073 MG
Niacin 4.537 MG 1.06 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.658 MG 0.638 MG
Vitamin B6 0.336 MG 0.178 MG
Folate 11 UG 181 UG
Vitamin B12 2.9 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Beef has 84% more calcium than lentil - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

iron

Both beef and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 48% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Both beef and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 34% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both beef and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Beef Lentils
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.037 G
Total 0.056 G 0.037 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.

Beef Lentils
other omega 6 0.012 G ~
linoleic acid 0.39 G 0.137 G
Total 0.402 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .

Cooked Beef g

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FAQ

Does beef or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both beef and lentils are high in calories. Beef has 140% more calories than lentil - beef has 277 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.

Is beef or lentils better for protein?
Both beef and lentils are high in protein. Beef has 180% more protein than lentil - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Does lentils or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beef has fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..

Does beef or lentils contain more iron?
Both beef and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 50% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

Does beef or lentils contain more potassium?
Both beef and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 30% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.