Milk vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Milk and Cooked Lentils
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
milk
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in milk and lentils:
- Lentil has 22.7 times less saturated fat than milk.
- Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B12.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Milk has 3.1 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Milk is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Milk (Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and milk has 57% less calories than lentil - milk has 50 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, milk is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to lentils for protein. Milk has a macronutrient ratio of 27:38:35 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Milk | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 38% | 67% |
| Fat | 35% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Milk has 3.1 times less carbohydrates than lentil - milk has 4.8g 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 more dietary fiber than milk - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and milk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Milk and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - milk has 5.1g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 173% more protein than milk - milk has 3.3g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lentil has 22.7 times less saturated fat than milk - milk has 1.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both milk and lentils are low in trans fat - milk has 0.09g of trans fat per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Both milk and lentils are low in cholesterol - milk has 8mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Milk and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - milk has 0.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Milk has more Vitamin A than lentil - milk has 55ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Milk has more Vitamin D than lentil - milk has 49iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Milk and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - milk has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Milk and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - milk has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, milk contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B12. Both milk and lentils contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Milk | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.039 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.185 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 0.092 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.356 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 181 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.53 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Milk is an excellent source of calcium and it has 532% more calcium than lentil - milk has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 165 times more iron than milk - milk has 0.02mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 164% more potassium than milk - milk has 140mg 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, both milk and lentils contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Milk | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 4 UG | 5 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than milk per 100 grams.
| Milk | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.066 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.
Milk 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 milk or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and milk has 60% less calories than lentil - milk has 50 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does milk or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, milk has 3.1 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - milk has 4.8g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does milk or lentils contain more calcium?
Milk is a rich source of calcium and it has 530% more calcium than lentil - milk has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
Does milk or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 165 times more iron than milk - milk has 0.02mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does milk or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 160% more potassium than milk - milk has 140mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.