Lentils vs. Silken Tofu
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Silken Tofu
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
silken tofu
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and silken tofu:
- Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Silken tofu has 16 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Silken tofu is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Silken Tofu (Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and silken tofu has 47% less calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories per 100 grams and silken tofu has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to silken tofu per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for silken tofu, 43:7:50 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Silken Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 43% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 7% |
| Fat | 3% | 50% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Silken tofu has 16 times less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and silken tofu has 1.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 38 times more dietary fiber than silken tofu - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and silken tofu has 0.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lentils and silken tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and silken tofu has 0.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 26% more protein than silken tofu - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and silken tofu has 7.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lentils and silken tofu are low in saturated fat - lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and silken tofu has 0.53g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentils and silken tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and silken tofu has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Silken tofu and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - silken tofu has 2.1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and silken tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and silken tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lentils and silken tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and silken tofu has 2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both lentils and silken tofu contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Lentils | Silken Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.047 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.535 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.051 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 44 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Silken tofu is an excellent source of calcium and it has 484% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium per 100 grams and silken tofu has 111mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 200% more iron than silken tofu - lentil has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and silken tofu has 1.1mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 208% more potassium than silken tofu - lentil has 369mg of potassium per 100 grams and silken tofu has 120mg 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 lentils and silken tofu contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Lentils | Silken Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, silken tofu has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Silken Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.246 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.246 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, silken tofu has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Silken Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 1.835 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 1.835 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: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Silken Tofu (Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (nigari)) .
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Silken Tofu 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 silken tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and silken tofu has 50% less calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories in 100g and silken tofu has 61 calories.
Is lentils or silken tofu better for protein?
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 30% more protein than silken tofu - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and silken tofu has 7.2g of protein.
Does lentils or silken tofu have more carbohydrates?
By weight, silken tofu has 16 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and silken tofu has 1.2g of carbohydrates.
Does lentils or silken tofu contain more calcium?
Silken tofu is a rich source of calcium and it has 480% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium in 100 grams and silken tofu has 111mg of calcium.
Does lentils or silken tofu contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 200% more iron than silken tofu - lentil has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and silken tofu has 1.1mg of iron.
Does lentils or silken tofu contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than silken tofu - lentil has 369mg of potassium in 100 grams and silken tofu has 120mg of potassium.