Lentils vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and spinach:
- Both spinach and lentils are high in dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Lentil has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than lentil - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 49% |
| Fat | 3% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than lentil - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 259% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 215% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and lentils are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 17 times more Vitamin C than lentil - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than lentil - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 17 times more Vitamin E than lentil - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 283 times more Vitamin K than lentil - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin. Both lentils and spinach contain significant amounts of niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Lentils | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 421% more calcium than lentil - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 23% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and lentils are high in potassium. Spinach has 51% more potassium than lentil - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.026 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Lentils or Spinach .
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach 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 % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 spinach or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than lentil - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Is spinach or lentils better for protein?
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 220% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Does spinach or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 4.5 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or lentils contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 420% more calcium than lentil - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
Does spinach or lentils contain more iron?
Both spinach and lentils are high in iron. Lentil has 20% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does spinach or lentils contain more potassium?
Both spinach and lentils are high in potassium. Spinach has 50% more potassium than lentil - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.