Lentils vs. Turkey
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Cooked Turkey
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
cooked
turkey
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and turkey:
- Both turkey and lentils are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Lentil has 39.6 times less saturated fat than turkey.
- Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, turkey contains more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Lentil has signficantly less cholesterol than turkey.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Turkey has 334.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Turkey (Turkey, whole, meat and skin, cooked, roasted) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both turkey and lentils are high in calories. Turkey has 63% more calories than lentil - turkey has 189 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to turkey per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for turkey, 63:0:37 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 63% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | ~ |
| Fat | 3% | 37% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Turkey has 334.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil - turkey has 0.06g 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 turkey - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Turkey has less sugar than lentil - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both turkey and lentils are high in protein. Turkey has 217% more protein than lentil - turkey has 28.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Lentil has 39.6 times less saturated fat than turkey - turkey has 2.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both turkey and lentils are low in trans fat - turkey has 0.1g of trans fat per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Lentil has signficantly less cholesterol than turkey - turkey has 109mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than turkey - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Turkey has more Vitamin A than lentil - turkey has 12ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Turkey has more Vitamin D than lentil - turkey has 15iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Turkey and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - turkey has 0.07mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lentils and turkey contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and turkey does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin and folate, however, turkey contains more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both lentils and turkey contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Lentils | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.281 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 9.573 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.948 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.616 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.02 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Turkey and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - turkey has 14mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 206% more iron than turkey - turkey has 1.1mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both turkey and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 54% more potassium than turkey - turkey has 239mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, turkey has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.108 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.005 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.129 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, turkey has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Turkey | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 1.873 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 1.883 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 (%) |
Cooked Turkey 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 turkey or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both turkey and lentils are high in calories. Turkey has 60% more calories than lentil - turkey has 189 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is turkey or lentils better for protein?
Both turkey and lentils are high in protein. Turkey has 220% more protein than lentil - turkey has 28.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does turkey or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, turkey has 334.5 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - turkey has 0.06g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does turkey or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 210% more iron than turkey - turkey has 1.1mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does turkey or lentils contain more potassium?
Both turkey and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 50% more potassium than turkey - turkey has 239mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.