Lentils vs. Squash

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Cooked Squash


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

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

  • Both squash and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
  • Lentil is a great source of protein.
  • Lentil is an excellent source of iron.
  • Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and calcium.
  • Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lentils and squash 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 Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lentils src
Image of Squash src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lentil is high in calories and squash has 66% less calories than lentil - squash has 40 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to squash for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lentils Squash
Protein 30% 8%
Carbohydrates 67% 91%
Fat 3% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Squash has 48% less carbohydrates than lentil - squash has 10.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both squash and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 147% more dietary fiber than squash - squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Squash and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - squash has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 902% more protein than squash - squash has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both squash and lentils are low in saturated fat - squash has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 907% more Vitamin C than lentil - squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than lentil - squash has 558ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Squash and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Squash and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - squash has 1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Lentils Squash
Thiamin 0.169 MG 0.072 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.017 MG
Niacin 1.06 MG 0.969 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.638 MG 0.359 MG
Vitamin B6 0.178 MG 0.124 MG
Folate 181 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Squash is a great source of calcium and it has 116% more calcium than lentil - squash has 41mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

iron

Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 455% more iron than squash - squash has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Both squash and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 30% more potassium than squash - squash has 284mg 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 Squash
beta-carotene 5 UG 4570 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 1130 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both lentils and squash contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Lentils Squash
alpha linoleic acid 0.037 G 0.024 G
Total 0.037 G 0.024 G

omega 6s

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

Lentils Squash
linoleic acid 0.137 G 0.014 G
Total 0.137 G 0.014 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 Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) .

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FAQ

Does squash or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lentil is high in calories and squash has 70% less calories than lentil - squash has 40 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.

Does squash or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, squash has 50% fewer carbohydrates than lentil - squash has 10.5g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

Does squash or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 460% more iron than squash - squash has 0.6mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

Does squash or lentils contain more potassium?
Both squash and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 30% more potassium than squash - squash has 284mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.

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