Lentils vs. Peas
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Peas
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
peas
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and peas:
- Both peas and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Lentil has more pantothenic acid and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of iron.
- Pea is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Peas (Peas, green, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and pea has 30% less calories than lentil - pea has 81 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is heavier in protein and similar to peas for carbs and fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for peas, 26:69:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 69% |
| Fat | 3% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Peas and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - pea has 14.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both peas and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 39% more dietary fiber than pea - pea has 5.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Peas and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - pea has 5.7g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 66% more protein than pea - pea has 5.4g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both peas and lentils are low in saturated fat - pea has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Pea is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 25 times more Vitamin C than lentil - pea has 40mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Pea has more Vitamin A than lentil - pea has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Peas and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pea has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pea has 13 times more Vitamin K than lentil - pea has 24.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more pantothenic acid and folate. Both lentils and peas contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.266 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.132 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 2.09 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.104 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 65 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Peas and lentils contain similar amounts of calcium - pea has 25mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 127% more iron than pea - pea has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both peas and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 51% more potassium than pea - pea has 244mg 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,
| Lentils | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 449 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 21 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 2477 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both lentils and peas contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lentils | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.035 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.035 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lentils and peas contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lentils | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.152 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.152 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 (%) |
Peas 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 peas or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and pea has 30% less calories than lentil - pea has 81 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does peas or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, peas and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - pea has 14.5g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does peas or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 130% more iron than pea - pea has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does peas or lentils contain more potassium?
Both peas and lentils are high in potassium. Lentil has 50% more potassium than pea - pea has 244mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.