White Rice vs. Lentils

Nutrition comparison of Cooked White Rice 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 white rice versus cooked lentils (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both white rice and lentils are high in calories.
  • Lentil has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Lentil is a great source of protein.
  • Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of white rice 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: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of White Rice src
Image of Lentils src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both white rice and lentils are high in calories. White rice has 12% more calories than lentil - white rice has 130 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.

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

Macro Ratios from Calories:

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

carbohydrates

Lentil has 30% less carbohydrates than white rice - white rice has 28.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 25 times more dietary fiber than white rice - white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.

sugar

White rice has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 279% more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Lentils and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Lentils and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

White Rice Lentils
Thiamin 0.167 MG 0.169 MG
Riboflavin 0.016 MG 0.073 MG
Niacin 1.835 MG 1.06 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.411 MG 0.638 MG
Vitamin B6 0.05 MG 0.178 MG
Folate 58 UG 181 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lentil has 533% more calcium than white rice - white rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

iron

Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 123% more iron than white rice - white rice has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 11 times more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

White Rice Lentils
alpha linoleic acid 0.01 G 0.037 G
Total 0.01 G 0.037 G

omega 6s

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

White Rice Lentils
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.137 G
Total 0.046 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .

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G Water G
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FAQ

Does white rice or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both white rice and lentils are high in calories. White rice has 10% more calories than lentil - white rice has 130 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.

Does white rice or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lentil has 30% fewer carbohydrates than white rice - white rice has 28.6g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

Does white rice or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 120% more iron than white rice - white rice has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

Does white rice or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 11 times more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.