Beef vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef 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
beef
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and lentils:
- Both beef and lentils are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
- Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, beef contains more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B12.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and lentils are high in calories. Beef has 139% more calories than lentil - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to lentils per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 67% |
| Fat | 62% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beef has less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Beef has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and lentils are high in protein. Beef has 181% more protein than lentil - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and lentil has 99% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Lentil has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Lentil has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than beef - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, beef contains more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B12. Both beef and lentils contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Beef | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 181 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 84% more calcium than lentil - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Both beef and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 48% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 34% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beef and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beef | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Beef | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.402 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.
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Lentils 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 beef or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and lentils are high in calories. Beef has 140% more calories than lentil - beef has 277 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is beef or lentils better for protein?
Both beef and lentils are high in protein. Beef has 180% more protein than lentil - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does lentils or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beef has fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..
Does beef or lentils contain more iron?
Both beef and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 50% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does beef or lentils contain more potassium?
Both beef and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 30% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.