Pasta vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cooked Lentils
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and lentils:
- Both pasta and lentils are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and lentils are high in calories. Pasta has 220% more calories than lentil - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to lentils for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for lentils, 30:67:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 67% |
| Fat | 4% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 73% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 147% more dietary fiber than pasta - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and lentils are high in protein. Pasta has 45% more protein than lentil - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and lentils are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than pasta - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Both pasta and lentils contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Pasta | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Both pasta and lentils are high in iron. Pasta is very similar to pasta for iron - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 65% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg 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, both pasta and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.54 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.
Pasta 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 pasta or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and lentils are high in calories. Pasta has 220% more calories than lentil - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does pasta or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 70% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or lentils contain more iron?
Both pasta and lentils are high in iron. Pasta is very similar to pasta for iron - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does pasta or lentils contain more potassium?
Both pasta and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 70% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.