Lentils vs. Tempeh
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Tempeh
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
tempeh
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and tempeh:
- Both lentils and tempeh are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
- Lentil has 46.9 times less saturated fat than tempeh.
- Lentil has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, tempeh contains more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B12.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
- Tempeh has 62% less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Tempeh (Tempeh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both lentils and tempeh are high in calories. Tempeh has 66% more calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories per 100 grams and tempeh has 192 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to tempeh per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for tempeh, 39:15:47 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Tempeh | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 15% |
| Fat | 3% | 47% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Tempeh has 62% less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and tempeh has 7.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than tempeh - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Tempeh has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both lentils and tempeh are high in protein. Tempeh has 125% more protein than lentil - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lentil has 46.9 times less saturated fat than tempeh - lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.5g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than tempeh - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Lentils and tempeh contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tempeh does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, tempeh contains more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B12. Both lentils and tempeh contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Tempeh | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.358 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 2.64 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.278 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.215 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 24 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 0.08 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tempeh is an excellent source of calcium and it has 484% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium per 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
iron
Both lentils and tempeh are high in iron. Lentil has 23% more iron than tempeh - lentil has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and tempeh has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both lentils and tempeh are high in potassium. Tempeh has 12% more potassium than lentil - lentil has 369mg of potassium per 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tempeh has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Tempeh | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.248 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.248 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tempeh has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Tempeh | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 4.052 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 4.052 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 (%) |
Tempeh 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 lentils or tempeh contain more calories in 100 grams?Both lentils and tempeh are high in calories. Tempeh has 70% more calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories in 100g and tempeh has 192 calories.
Is lentils or tempeh better for protein?
Both lentils and tempeh are high in protein. Tempeh has 130% more protein than lentil - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and tempeh has 20.3g of protein.
Does lentils or tempeh have more carbohydrates?
By weight, tempeh has 60% fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and tempeh has 7.6g of carbohydrates.
Does lentils or tempeh contain more calcium?
Tempeh is a rich source of calcium and it has 480% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium in 100 grams and tempeh has 111mg of calcium.
Does lentils or tempeh contain more iron?
Both lentils and tempeh are high in iron. Lentil has 20% more iron than tempeh - lentil has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and tempeh has 2.7mg of iron.
Does lentils or tempeh contain more potassium?
Both lentils and tempeh are high in potassium. Tempeh has 10% more potassium than lentil - lentil has 369mg of potassium in 100 grams and tempeh has 412mg of potassium.