Lentils vs. Alfalfa Sprouts
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Alfalfa Sprouts
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
alfalfa sprouts
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and alfalfa sprouts:
- Alfalfa sprout has 8.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 80% less calories than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to alfalfa sprouts per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for alfalfa sprouts, 53:29:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 53% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 29% |
| Fat | 3% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Alfalfa sprout has 8.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g 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 316% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 126% more protein than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and lentils are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has 447% more Vitamin C than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin A than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprout has 16 times more Vitamin K than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both lentils and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Lentils | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.076 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.126 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.481 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.563 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.034 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 36 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprout has 68% more calcium than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 247% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 367% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.175 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.175 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lentils and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lentils | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.234 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.234 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 Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does alfalfa sprouts or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 80% less calories than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or lentils better for protein?
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 130% more protein than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has 8.5 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does alfalfa sprouts or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 250% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does alfalfa sprouts or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 370% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.