Lentils vs. Chicken
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Cooked Chicken
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
cooked
chicken
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and chicken:
- Both chicken and lentils are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, lentil contains more folate.
- Lentil has 57.6 times less saturated fat than chicken.
- Lentil has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Chicken (Chicken, ground, crumbles, cooked, pan-browned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both chicken and lentils are high in calories. Chicken has 63% more calories than lentil - chicken has 189 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to chicken per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for chicken, 49:0:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | ~ |
| Fat | 3% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken has less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Chicken has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both chicken and lentils are high in protein. Chicken has 158% more protein than lentil - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lentil has 57.6 times less saturated fat than chicken - chicken has 3.1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both chicken and lentils are low in trans fat - chicken has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Lentil has signficantly less cholesterol than chicken - chicken has 107mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than chicken - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and chicken contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Chicken and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - chicken has 0.39mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Chicken and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - chicken has 2.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, lentil contains more folate. Both lentils and chicken contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Lentils | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.121 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.302 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 7.107 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 1.327 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.538 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.51 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lentil has 138% more calcium than chicken - chicken has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 258% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both chicken and lentils are high in potassium. Chicken has 83% more potassium than lentil - chicken has 677mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA and DPA than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.1 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.031 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.016 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.155 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Chicken | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 1.818 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.02 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 1.838 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 (%) |
Cooked Chicken 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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 chicken or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both chicken and lentils are high in calories. Chicken has 60% more calories than lentil - chicken has 189 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is chicken or lentils better for protein?
Both chicken and lentils are high in protein. Chicken has 160% more protein than lentil - chicken has 23.3g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does lentils or chicken have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken has fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and chicken has no carbs..
Does chicken or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 260% more iron than chicken - chicken has 0.93mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does chicken or lentils contain more potassium?
Both chicken and lentils are high in potassium. Chicken has 80% more potassium than lentil - chicken has 677mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.