Fava Bean vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Fava Bean 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
fava bean
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in fava bean and lentils:
- Both lentils and fava bean are high in calories, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Lentil has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Lentil is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Fava Bean (Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both lentils and fava bean are high in calories. Lentil has a little more calories (5%) than fava bean by weight - lentil has 116 calories per 100 grams and fava bean has 110 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, fava bean is similar to lentils for protein, carbs and fat. Fava bean has a macronutrient ratio of 27:70:3 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Fava Bean | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 70% | 67% |
| Fat | 3% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of carbs - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and fava bean has 19.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lentils and fava bean are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 46% more dietary fiber than fava bean - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and fava bean has 5.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of sugar - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and fava bean has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of protein - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and fava bean has 7.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lentils and fava bean are low in saturated fat - lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.3mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Fava bean and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - fava bean has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and fava bean has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and fava bean has 2.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both fava bean and lentils contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Fava Bean | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.097 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.089 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 0.711 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.157 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.072 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 104 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Fava bean has 89% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium per 100 grams and fava bean has 36mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 122% more iron than fava bean - lentil has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and fava bean has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both lentils and fava bean are high in potassium. Lentil has 38% more potassium than fava bean - lentil has 369mg of potassium per 100 grams and fava bean has 268mg 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, both fava bean and lentils contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Fava Bean | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 9 UG | 5 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than fava bean per 100 grams.
| Fava Bean | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.012 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.012 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both fava bean and lentils contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Fava Bean | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.152 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.152 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.
Cooked Fava Bean 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 lentils or fava bean contain more calories in 100 grams?Both lentils and fava bean are high in calories. Lentil has a little more calories ( 10%) than fava bean by weight - lentil has 116 calories in 100g and fava bean has 110 calories.
Does lentils or fava bean have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lentils and fava bean contain similar amounts of carbs - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and fava bean has 19.7g of carbohydrates.
Does lentils or fava bean contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 120% more iron than fava bean - lentil has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and fava bean has 1.5mg of iron.
Does lentils or fava bean contain more potassium?
Both lentils and fava bean are high in potassium. Lentil has 40% more potassium than fava bean - lentil has 369mg of potassium in 100 grams and fava bean has 268mg of potassium.