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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of fava bean 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: 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.


Image of Fava Bean src
Image of Lentils src

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 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 Fava Bean or Lentils .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Fava Bean (Broadbeans (fava beans), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .

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G Water G
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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.