Lentils vs. Tofu
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and 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
tofu
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and tofu:
- Both lentils and tofu are high in iron and protein.
- Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium.
- Tofu has 9.7 times less carbohydrates than lentil.
- Tofu is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and tofu has 34% less calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to tofu per calorie. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for tofu, 39:9:52 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 9% |
| Fat | 3% | 52% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Tofu has 9.7 times less carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lentil is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 25 times more dietary fiber than tofu - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lentils and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both lentils and tofu are high in protein. Lentil has 12% more protein than tofu - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lentils and tofu are low in saturated fat - lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentils and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Tofu has more Vitamin A than lentil - tofu has 25.5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lentils and tofu contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both lentils and tofu contain significant amounts of riboflavin.
| Lentils | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.081 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.052 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.068 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.047 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tofu is an excellent source of calcium and it has 17 times more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Both lentils and tofu are high in iron. Tofu has 61% more iron than lentil - lentil has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Lentil is an excellent source of potassium and it has 205% more potassium than tofu - lentil has 369mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, tofu has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.319 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.319 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tofu has more linoleic acid than lentil per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Tofu | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 2.38 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 2.38 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 (%) |
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 tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and tofu has 30% less calories than lentil - lentil has 116 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is lentils or tofu better for protein?
Both lentils and tofu are high in protein. Lentil has 10% more protein than tofu - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does lentils or tofu have more carbohydrates?
By weight, tofu has 9.7 times fewer carbohydrates than lentil - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
Does lentils or tofu contain more calcium?
Tofu is a rich source of calcium and it has 17 times more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does lentils or tofu contain more iron?
Both lentils and tofu are high in iron. Tofu has 60% more iron than lentil - lentil has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
Does lentils or tofu contain more potassium?
Lentil is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than tofu - lentil has 369mg of potassium in 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.