Lentils vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both spinach and lentils are high in dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
  • Lentil has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin.
  • Lentil is a great source of protein.
  • Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lentils and spinach 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 Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lentils src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lentil is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than lentil - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lentils Spinach
Protein 30% 39%
Carbohydrates 67% 49%
Fat 3% 12%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both spinach and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 259% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Spinach and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 215% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both spinach and lentils are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 17 times more Vitamin C than lentil - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than lentil - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 17 times more Vitamin E than lentil - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 283 times more Vitamin K than lentil - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Lentils Spinach
Thiamin 0.169 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 1.06 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.638 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.178 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 181 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 421% more calcium than lentil - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

iron

Both spinach and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 23% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Both spinach and lentils are high in potassium. Spinach has 51% more potassium than lentil - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg 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,

Lentils Spinach
beta-carotene 5 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Lentils Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.037 G 0.138 G
Total 0.037 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Lentils Spinach
linoleic acid 0.137 G 0.026 G
Total 0.137 G 0.026 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 Spinach .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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FAQ

Does spinach or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lentil is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than lentil - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.

Is spinach or lentils better for protein?
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 220% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Does spinach or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 4.5 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or lentils contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 420% more calcium than lentil - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

Does spinach or lentils contain more iron?
Both spinach and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 20% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

Does spinach or lentils contain more potassium?
Both spinach and lentils are high in potassium. Spinach has 50% more potassium than lentil - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.