Lentils vs. Chicken Breast
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Cooked Chicken Breast
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
cooked
chicken breast
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and chicken breast:
- Both chicken breast and lentils are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more dha than lentil.
- Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken breast and lentils are high in calories. Chicken breast has 42% more calories than lentil - chicken breast has 165 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chicken breast per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for chicken breast, 79:0:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 79% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | ~ |
| Fat | 3% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken breast has less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Chicken breast has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken breast and lentils are high in protein. Chicken breast has 244% more protein than lentil - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Chicken breast and lentils contain similar amounts of saturated fat - chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Lentil has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than chicken breast - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Chicken breast has more Vitamin A than lentil - chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than lentil - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken breast and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken breast and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, chicken breast contains more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both lentils and chicken breast contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Lentils | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.07 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 13.712 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.965 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.6 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.34 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chicken breast and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - chicken breast has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 220% more iron than chicken breast - chicken breast has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken breast and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 44% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more DHA than lentil per 100 grams. Both lentils and chicken breast contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lentils | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.03 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.02 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.07 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Chicken Breast | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.59 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.65 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: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) .
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Chicken Breast 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 chicken breast or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken breast and lentils are high in calories. Chicken breast has 40% more calories than lentil - chicken breast has 165 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is chicken breast or lentils better for protein?
Both chicken breast and lentils are high in protein. Chicken breast has 240% more protein than lentil - chicken breast has 31g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does lentils or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken breast has fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..
Does chicken breast or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 220% more iron than chicken breast - chicken breast has 1mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does chicken breast or lentils contain more potassium?
Both chicken breast and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 40% more potassium than chicken breast - chicken breast has 256mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.