Lentils vs. White Beans
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and White Beans
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
white beans
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and white beans:
- Both lentils and white beans are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Lentil has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- White bean is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and White Beans (Beans, white, mature seeds, canned) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both lentils and white beans are high in calories. Lentil is very similar to white bean for calories - lentil has 116 calories per 100 grams and white bean has 114 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to white beans for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for white beans, 25:73:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | White Beans | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 73% |
| Fat | 3% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lentils and white beans contain similar amounts of carbs - lentil has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and white bean has 21.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lentils and white beans are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 65% more dietary fiber than white bean - lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and white bean has 4.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lentils and white beans contain similar amounts of sugar - lentil has 1.8g of sugar per 100 grams and white bean has 0.29g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 24% more protein than white bean - lentil has 9g of protein per 100 grams and white bean has 7.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lentils and white beans are low in saturated fat - lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and white bean has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lentil has more Vitamin C than white bean - lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and white bean does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Lentils and white beans contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lentil has 2.4ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and white bean does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lentils and white beans contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white bean has 0.79mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lentils and white beans contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white bean has 2.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both lentils and white beans contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Lentils | White Beans | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.096 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.185 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.075 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 65 UG |
Minerals
calcium
White bean is an excellent source of calcium and it has 284% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium per 100 grams and white bean has 73mg of calcium.
iron
Both lentils and white beans are high in iron. Lentil has 11% more iron than white bean - lentil has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and white bean has 3mg of iron.
potassium
Both lentils and white beans are high in potassium. White bean has 23% more potassium than lentil - lentil has 369mg of potassium per 100 grams and white bean has 454mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both lentils and white beans contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lentils | White Beans | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.056 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.056 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than white bean per 100 grams.
| Lentils | White Beans | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.067 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.067 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 White Beans (Beans, white, mature seeds, canned) .
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
White Beans g
()
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does lentils or white beans contain more calories in 100 grams?Both lentils and white beans are high in calories. Lentil is quite similar to white bean for calories - lentil has 116 calories in 100g and white bean has 114 calories.
Does lentils or white beans have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lentils and white beans contain similar amounts of carbs - lentil has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and white bean has 21.2g of carbohydrates.
Does lentils or white beans contain more calcium?
White bean is a rich source of calcium and it has 280% more calcium than lentil - lentil has 19mg of calcium in 100 grams and white bean has 73mg of calcium.
Does lentils or white beans contain more iron?
Both lentils and white beans are high in iron. Lentil has 10% more iron than white bean - lentil has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and white bean has 3mg of iron.
Does lentils or white beans contain more potassium?
Both lentils and white beans are high in potassium. White bean has 20% more potassium than lentil - lentil has 369mg of potassium in 100 grams and white bean has 454mg of potassium.