Food database · Legumes & beans
Protein content
17.9 g of protein in 1 cup cooked (198 g) of lentils, or 7.8 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.
| Protein per 100 kcal | 7.8 g |
|---|---|
| Protein per 100 g | 9.02 g |
| Protein per serving | 17.9 g in 1 cup cooked (198 g) |
| Calories from protein | 31% |
| Leucine per serving | 1.29 g |
| Rank in legumes, per 100 kcal | 4th of 54 |
| Rank of all foods, per 100 g | 470th of 796 |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 36% per serving |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
One 1 cup cooked, 17.9 g protein.
Every 100 kcal of lentils brings 7.8 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 4th of the 54 legumes in this database and 315th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 9.02 g per 100 g ranks 17th in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 31% of the calories in lentils, making it moderately protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
USDA lists 0.38 g of fat per 100 g of lentils, too little for a protein-to-fat ratio to mean much.
Set against white beans (cannellini), another legume entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g more protein (white beans (cannellini) has 17.4 g per 1 cup cooked).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 198 g, and it covers about 36% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
A plant protein that is lower in one or more essential amino acids - pair it with grains or other plants across the day.
Serving sizes
| Portion | Weight | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 100 g | 9.02 g | 116 kcal |
| 1 cup cooked (serving used here) | 198 g | 17.9 g | 230 kcal |
| 1 tbsp | 12.3 g | 1.1 g | 14 kcal |
Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
| Amino acid | Per 100 g | Per serving | mg per g protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| leucine | 0.654 g | 1.29 g | 73 |
| lysine | 0.63 g | 1.25 g | 70 |
| valine | 0.448 g | 0.89 g | 50 |
| isoleucine | 0.39 g | 0.77 g | 43 |
| threonine | 0.323 g | 0.64 g | 36 |
| phenylalanine | 0.445 g | 0.88 g | 49 |
| methionine | 0.077 g | 0.15 g | 9 |
| histidine | 0.254 g | 0.5 g | 28 |
| tryptophan | 0.081 g | 0.16 g | 9 |
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
Related
Highest-protein legumes per serving · Most protein-dense foods · Highest protein per 100 g
Head to head
Quick answers
9.02 g. The 1 cup cooked serving used on this page weighs 198 g and so carries 17.9 g.
7.8 g. That figure divides its 9.02 g of protein per 100 g by its 116 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
No. On its own, the protein in lentils is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
About 36%. One 1 cup cooked serving has 17.9 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #172421 (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.