Brown Whole Lentils Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Cooked brown lentils deliver 9.02g protein per 100g — the highest among commonly consumed cooked dals and legumes in this weight class. For comparison, cooked chickpeas provide 8.9g, mung beans 7.0g, and pigeon peas 8.4g. A single cup of cooked brown lentils (198g) provides 17.9g protein, which is roughly 36% of the Daily Value ^[1].

The folate content is equally notable at 181mcg per 100g cooked — a cup delivers 358mcg, or approximately 90% of the Daily Value (400mcg). Combined with 3.33mg iron per 100g (18% DV per 100g), brown lentils pack two of the most commonly tracked micronutrients into a single, affordable food item.

The fiber content at 7.9g per 100g cooked (15.6g per cup) is among the highest for cooked legumes. This combination of high protein, high folate, high iron, and high fiber — all at just 116 calories per 100g — gives brown lentils one of the strongest nutrient-per-calorie ratios of any whole food.

All lentils (Lens culinaris) share a broadly similar nutritional profile, but the differences are worth noting for precise tracking. Brown lentils (the most common variety worldwide) retain their shape after cooking and have the full nutrient complement of an intact lentil. Red lentils (masoor dal) are hulled and split, which reduces fiber (from ~7.9g to ~3.8g per 100g cooked) and cooking time (from 25–30 to 10–15 minutes) ^[2].

Green lentils (French/Puy lentils) are nutritionally very similar to brown lentils — both are whole, unhulled varieties. The main differences are textural: green lentils hold their shape more firmly and have a slightly peppery flavor. Calorie and protein values per 100g cooked are within 5% of each other.

For nutrition journaling, the most important distinction is between whole (brown/green) and split (red/yellow) lentils. Whole lentils have roughly double the fiber of split varieties. If your food journal uses a generic 'lentils' entry, it likely reflects the USDA composite data for brown/green whole lentils (FDC #172421), which is a reasonable default.

Dry brown lentils contain 352 calories per 100g. After cooking, they absorb approximately 1.5–2x their weight in water, dropping the calorie density to 116 per 100g — a 67% decrease. One cup of dry lentils (~192g, 676 kcal) produces roughly 2.5 cups cooked (~495g, 574 kcal), with some calorie loss to cooking water ^[1].

This water absorption ratio is moderate compared to other legumes — mung beans absorb about 2.5x and chickpeas about 2x. Lentils are the fastest-cooking major legume (20–30 minutes without soaking), which makes them practical for same-day meal preparation.

The tracking implication is consistent with other legumes: always specify dry vs. cooked weight. The calorie difference per 100g is 3x, which means logging '200g lentils' could mean 704 kcal (dry) or 232 kcal (cooked) — a 470-calorie discrepancy that would significantly affect daily totals.

Canned brown lentils (drained) contain approximately 108 kcal per 100g — close to home-cooked (116 kcal). The protein drops slightly to 7.6g per 100g (vs. 9.0g), and fiber decreases to 5.5g (vs. 7.9g). These modest reductions likely reflect some nutrient leaching into the canning liquid ^[3].

The major difference is sodium: canned lentils contain approximately 270mg sodium per 100g, compared to just 2mg for home-cooked — a 135x increase. A drained 250g can delivers about 675mg sodium (29% DV). Rinsing canned lentils under running water for 30 seconds can reduce sodium by approximately 30–40%, bringing it down to ~160–190mg per 100g.

Folate also takes a notable hit in canned lentils: 105mcg per 100g vs. 181mcg for freshly cooked — a 42% reduction. Since folate is water-soluble, a significant portion dissolves into the canning liquid. For anyone specifically tracking folate intake, freshly cooked lentils provide substantially more per serving.

Dry lentils contain 4.5mg vitamin C per 100g, and cooked lentils retain about 1.5mg after heat exposure. But when lentils are sprouted, the vitamin C content surges to 16.5mg per 100g — an 11x increase over the cooked form ^[1]. This happens because germination activates enzymatic pathways that synthesize ascorbic acid from the seed's stored sugars.

Sprouted brown lentils maintain a strong protein content at 8.96g per 100g — only slightly less than the cooked form (9.02g). The calorie count drops modestly to 106 kcal per 100g (vs. 116 for cooked). The fiber content, however, decreases significantly to 0.8g per 100g compared to 7.9g for cooked — because the sprouting process breaks down much of the seed coat fiber.

For nutrition logging, sprouted lentils occupy a middle ground: similar protein to cooked lentils, dramatically higher vitamin C, but substantially less fiber. If you're tracking vitamin C from plant sources, a cup of lentil sprouts provides about 16.5mg — roughly 18% of the Daily Value — from a food that otherwise contains negligible amounts.