Brown Rice vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown 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
brown rice
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and lentils:
- Both brown rice and lentils are high in calories.
- Brown rice has more niacin, however, lentil contains more folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both brown rice and lentils are high in calories. Brown rice has a little more calories (6%) than lentil by weight - brown rice has 123 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to lentils per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Rice | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 67% |
| Fat | 7% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Brown rice and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - brown rice has 25.6g 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 394% more dietary fiber than brown rice - brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Brown rice and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - brown rice has 0.24g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 229% more protein than brown rice - brown rice has 2.7g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both brown rice and lentils are low in saturated fat - brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than brown rice - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Brown rice and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Brown rice and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Brown rice has more niacin, however, lentil contains more folate. Both brown rice and lentils contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Brown Rice | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.178 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.069 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 2.561 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lentil has 533% more calcium than brown rice - brown 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 495% more iron than brown rice - brown rice has 0.56mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 329% more potassium than brown rice - brown rice has 86mg 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 brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, brown rice has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.355 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.359 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .
Cooked Brown Rice 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 brown rice or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both brown rice and lentils are high in calories. Brown rice has a little more calories ( 10%) than lentil by weight - brown rice has 123 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does brown rice or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, brown rice and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - brown rice has 25.6g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does brown rice or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 500% more iron than brown rice - brown rice has 0.56mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does brown rice or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 330% more potassium than brown rice - brown rice has 86mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.