Chickpeas vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chickpeas 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
chickpeas
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chickpeas and lentils:
- Both lentils and chickpeas are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Chickpea is a great source of calcium.
- Lentil has more pantothenic acid.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chickpeas (Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in calories. Chickpea has 41% more calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories per 100 grams and chickpea has 164 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chickpeas is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to lentils for carbs. Chickpeas has a macronutrient ratio of 21:65:14 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chickpeas | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 67% |
| Fat | 14% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lentil has 27% less carbohydrates than chickpea - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chickpea has 27.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has a little more dietary fiber (4%) than chickpea by weight - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chickpea has 7.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lentils and chickpeas contain similar amounts of sugar - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and chickpea has 4.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in protein. Lentil is very similar to chickpea for protein - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and chickpea has 8.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lentils and chickpeas are low in saturated fat - lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chickpea has 0.27g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentils and chickpeas contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chickpea has 1.3mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Chickpeas and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - chickpea has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and chickpeas contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chickpea has 0.35mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lentils and chickpeas contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chickpea has 4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more pantothenic acid. Both chickpeas and lentils contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Chickpeas | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.116 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.063 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 0.526 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.286 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.139 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 172 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Chickpea is a great source of calcium and it has 158% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium per 100 grams and chickpea has 49mg of calcium.
iron
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in iron. Lentil has 15% more iron than chickpea - lentil has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and chickpea has 2.9mg of iron.
potassium
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in potassium. Lentil has 27% more potassium than chickpea - lentil has 369mg of potassium per 100 grams and chickpea has 291mg 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, both chickpeas and lentils contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Chickpeas | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 16 UG | 5 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both chickpeas and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Chickpeas | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.043 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chickpea has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Chickpeas | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.113 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 1.113 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 Chickpeas 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 lentils or chickpeas contain more calories in 100 grams?Both lentils and chickpeas are high in calories. Chickpea has 40% more calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories in 100g and chickpea has 164 calories.
Does lentils or chickpeas have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lentil has 30% fewer carbohydrates than chickpea - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and chickpea has 27.4g of carbohydrates.
Does lentils or chickpeas contain more iron?
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in iron. Lentil has 20% more iron than chickpea - lentil has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and chickpea has 2.9mg of iron.
Does lentils or chickpeas contain more potassium?
Both lentils and chickpeas are high in potassium. Lentil has 30% more potassium than chickpea - lentil has 369mg of potassium in 100 grams and chickpea has 291mg of potassium.