Lentils vs. Chicken

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Cooked Chicken


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 (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both chicken and lentils are high in calories, potassium and protein.
  • Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, lentil contains more folate.
  • Lentil has 57.6 times less saturated fat than chicken.
  • Lentil has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
  • Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lentils and chicken 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: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lentils src
Image of Chicken src

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


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both chicken and lentils are high in calories. Chicken has 63% more calories than lentil - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for chicken, 49:0:51 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lentils Chicken
Protein 30% 49%
Carbohydrates 67% ~
Fat 3% 51%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

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

dietary fiber

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

sugar

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

Protein

protein

Both chicken and lentils are high in protein. Chicken has 158% more protein than lentil - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Lentil has 57.6 times less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Both chicken and lentils are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

cholesterol

Lentil has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

Lentils and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Chicken and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chicken and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Lentils Chicken
Thiamin 0.169 MG 0.121 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.302 MG
Niacin 1.06 MG 7.107 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.638 MG 1.327 MG
Vitamin B6 0.178 MG 0.538 MG
Folate 181 UG 2 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.51 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lentil has 138% more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

iron

Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 258% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Both chicken and lentils are high in potassium. Chicken has 83% more potassium than lentil - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA and DPA than lentil per 100 grams.

Lentils Chicken
alpha linoleic acid 0.037 G 0.1 G
DHA ~ 0.031 G
EPA ~ 0.008 G
DPA ~ 0.016 G
Total 0.037 G 0.155 G

omega 6s

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

Lentils Chicken
linoleic acid 0.137 G 1.818 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.02 G
Total 0.137 G 1.838 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Lentils or Chicken .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) .

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FAQ

Does chicken or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both chicken and lentils are high in calories. Chicken has 60% more calories than lentil - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.

Is chicken or lentils better for protein?
Both chicken and lentils are high in protein. Chicken has 160% more protein than lentil - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

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

Does chicken or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 260% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

Does chicken or lentils contain more potassium?
Both chicken and lentils are high in potassium. Chicken has 80% more potassium than lentil - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.

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