Canned Tuna vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Cooked Lentils
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
canned tuna
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and lentils:
- Both canned tuna and lentils are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more dha, epa and dpa than lentil.
- Lentil has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more niacin and Vitamin B12.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both canned tuna and lentils are high in calories. Canned tuna has a little more calories (10%) than lentil by weight - canned tuna has 128 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to lentils per calorie. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Canned Tuna | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 78% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 67% |
| Fat | 22% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Canned tuna has less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than canned tuna - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Canned tuna has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both canned tuna and lentils are high in protein. Canned tuna has 162% more protein than lentil - canned tuna has 23.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both canned tuna and lentils are low in saturated fat - canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Lentil has less cholesterol than canned tuna - canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than canned tuna - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than lentil - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Lentils and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more niacin and Vitamin B12. Both canned tuna and lentils contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Canned Tuna | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.008 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.044 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 5.799 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.124 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.217 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 181 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.17 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Canned tuna and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - canned tuna has 14mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 243% more iron than canned tuna - canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both canned tuna and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 56% more potassium than canned tuna - canned tuna has 237mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more DHA, EPA and DPA than lentil per 100 grams. Both canned tuna and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Canned Tuna | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.071 G | 0.037 G |
| DHA | 0.629 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.233 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.018 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.951 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.137 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.051 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.106 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: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .
Canned Tuna g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Lentils 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 % |
|
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 % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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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 % |
|
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% |
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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% |
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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 canned tuna or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both canned tuna and lentils are high in calories. Canned tuna has a little more calories ( 10%) than lentil by weight - canned tuna has 128 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is canned tuna or lentils better for protein?
Both canned tuna and lentils are high in protein. Canned tuna has 160% more protein than lentil - canned tuna has 23.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does lentils or canned tuna have more carbohydrates?
By weight, canned tuna has fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and canned tuna has no carbs..
Does canned tuna or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 240% more iron than canned tuna - canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does canned tuna or lentils contain more potassium?
Both canned tuna and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 60% more potassium than canned tuna - canned tuna has 237mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.