Lentils vs. Beets
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Beets
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
beets
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and beets:
- Both beets and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Beet has 53% less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Lentil has 73% less sugar than beet.
- Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Beets (Beets, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and beet has 63% less calories than lentil - beet has 43 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to beets for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for beets, 14:83:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 83% |
| Fat | 3% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beet has 53% less carbohydrates than lentil - beet has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both beets and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 182% more dietary fiber than beet - beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lentil has 73% less sugar than beet - beet has 6.8g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 460% more protein than beet - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beets and lentils are low in saturated fat - beet has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Beet has 227% more Vitamin C than lentil - beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Beets and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beets and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beets and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both lentils and beets contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Lentils | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.031 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.334 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.155 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 109 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beets and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - beet has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 316% more iron than beet - beet has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both beets and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 14% more potassium than beet - beet has 325mg 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, both lentils and beets contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Lentils | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 20 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beet per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.005 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.005 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than beet per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Beets | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.055 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.055 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 Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Beets 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 beets or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and beet has 60% less calories than lentil - beet has 43 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does beets or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beet has 50% fewer carbohydrates than lentil - beet has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does beets or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 320% more iron than beet - beet has 0.8mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does beets or lentils contain more potassium?
Both beets and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 10% more potassium than beet - beet has 325mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.