Lentils vs. Carrots
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Carrots
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
carrots
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and carrots:
- Both carrots and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Carrot has 52% less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Lentil has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- 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 Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and carrot has 65% less calories than lentil - carrot has 41 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to carrots for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for carrots, 9:87:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 87% |
| Fat | 3% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Carrot has 52% less carbohydrates than lentil - carrot has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both carrots and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 182% more dietary fiber than carrot - carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Carrots and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - carrot has 4.7g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 870% more protein than carrot - carrot has 0.93g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both carrots and lentils are low in saturated fat - carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Carrot has 293% more Vitamin C than lentil - carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than lentil - carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Carrots and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Carrots and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both lentils and carrots contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.273 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.138 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Carrot has 74% more calcium than lentil - carrot has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than carrot - carrot has 0.3mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both carrots and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 15% more potassium than carrot - carrot has 320mg 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,
| Lentils | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 8285 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 3477 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 256 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.002 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lentils and carrots contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lentils | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.1 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.1 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 (%) |
Carrots 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 carrots or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and carrot has 70% less calories than lentil - carrot has 41 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does carrots or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, carrot has 50% fewer carbohydrates than lentil - carrot has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does carrots or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than carrot - carrot has 0.3mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does carrots or lentils contain more potassium?
Both carrots and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 20% more potassium than carrot - carrot has 320mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.