Couscous vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous 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
couscous
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and lentils:
- Both couscous and lentils are high in calories.
- Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both couscous and lentils are high in calories. Couscous is very similar to couscous for calories - couscous has 112 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, couscous is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to lentils for fat. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Couscous | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 85% | 67% |
| Fat | 2% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Couscous and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - couscous has 23.2g 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 464% more dietary fiber than couscous - couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Couscous and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - couscous has 0.1g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 138% more protein than couscous - couscous has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both couscous and lentils are low in saturated fat - couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than couscous - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Couscous and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Couscous and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both couscous and lentils contain significant amounts of niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Couscous | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.063 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.371 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.051 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lentil has 138% more calcium than couscous - couscous has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 776% more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 536% more potassium than couscous - couscous has 58mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.003 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.003 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.06 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.06 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 Couscous 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 couscous or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both couscous and lentils are high in calories. Couscous is quite similar to couscous for calories - couscous has 112 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does couscous or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, couscous and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - couscous has 23.2g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does couscous or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 780% more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does couscous or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 540% more potassium than couscous - couscous has 58mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.