Wheat Flour vs. Lentils
Nutrition comparison of Wheat Flour and Cooked Lentils
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
wheat flour
versus
cooked
lentils
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat flour and lentils:
- Both wheat flour and lentils are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of potassium.
- Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, however, lentil contains more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat flour and lentils are high in calories. Wheat flour has 211% more calories than lentil - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat flour is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to lentils for fat. Wheat flour 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:
| Wheat Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 67% |
| Fat | 4% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 72% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat flour and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 229% more dietary fiber than wheat flour - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wheat flour and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both wheat flour and lentils are high in protein. Wheat flour has 33% more protein than lentil - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both wheat flour and lentils are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than wheat flour - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Wheat flour and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Wheat flour and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, however, lentil contains more Vitamin B6. Both wheat flour and lentils contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and folate.
| Wheat Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.812 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.512 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 7.554 MG | 1.06 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.438 MG | 0.638 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.037 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Folate | 183 UG | 181 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat flour and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat flour and lentils are high in iron. Wheat flour has 32% more iron than lentil - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 269% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg 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 wheat flour and lentils contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Wheat Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 5 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 79 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both wheat flour and lentils contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Wheat Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.037 G |
| Total | 0.043 G | 0.037 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat flour has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Wheat Flour | Lentils | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.685 G | 0.137 G |
| Total | 0.685 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .
Wheat Flour 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 wheat flour or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat flour and lentils are high in calories. Wheat flour has 210% more calories than lentil - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does wheat flour or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and lentil has 70% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat flour or lentils contain more iron?
Both wheat flour and lentils are high in iron. Wheat flour has 30% more iron than lentil - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does wheat flour or lentils contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 270% more potassium than wheat flour - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.