Lentils vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and kale:
- Both kale and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Kale has more riboflavin, however, lentil contains more folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
- 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 Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and kale has 70% less calories than lentil - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to kale for protein. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 41% |
| Fat | 3% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 93% more dietary fiber than kale - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 209% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and lentils are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 61 times more Vitamin C than lentil - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than lentil - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 228 times more Vitamin K than lentil - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin, however, lentil contains more folate. Both lentils and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than lentil - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 108% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and lentils are high in potassium. Kale is very similar to kale for potassium - kale has 348mg 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, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.294 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 (%) |
Kale 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 kale or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and kale has 70% less calories than lentil - kale has 35 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does kale or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 3.5 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or lentils contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than lentil - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
Does kale or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 110% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does kale or lentils contain more potassium?
Both kale and lentils are high in potassium. Kale is very similar to kale for potassium - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.