Lentils vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and onion:
- Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Onion has 54% less carbohydrates than lentil.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and onion has 66% less calories than lentil - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 87% |
| Fat | 3% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion has 54% less carbohydrates than lentil - onion has 9.3g 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 365% more dietary fiber than onion - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 720% more protein than onion - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and lentils are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has 393% more Vitamin C than lentil - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lentils and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both lentils and onion contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 14 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 153% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg 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 lentils and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Lentils | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.013 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 (%) |
Onion 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 onion or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and onion has 70% less calories than lentil - onion has 40 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does onion or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion has 50% fewer carbohydrates than lentil - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 14 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does onion or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 150% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.