How Much Protein in Lentils? Cooked vs Dry, Per Cup
Per 100 g, boiled lentils have 9.0 g of protein and raw (dry) lentils have 24.6 g. A cup of boiled lentils (198 g) has 17.9 g of protein. Per 100 g, boiled lentils also provide 116 kcal, 0.4 g of fat and 20.1 g of carbohydrate.
Ranked #38 of 46 high protein foods by protein per 100 g.
Protein per 100 g and per serving
| Food | State | Per 100 g | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per serving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | kcal | Fat | Carbs | Serving | Protein | kcal | |||
| Lentils, boiled (without salt) FDC 172421 | Cooked | 9.0 g | 116 | 0.4 g | 20.1 g | 1 cup (198 g) | 17.9 g 1 cup (198 g) | 230 | |
| Lentils, raw (dry) FDC 172420 | Raw | 24.6 g | 352 | 1.1 g | 63.4 g | 1 cup (192 g) | 47.3 g 1 cup (192 g) | 676 | |
Protein by amount: boiled lentils
| Cups | Weight | Protein | kcal | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1198 g | 198 g | 17.9 g | 230 | 0.8 g | 39.9 g |
| 2396 g | 396 g | 35.7 g | 459 | 1.5 g | 79.7 g |
| 3594 g | 594 g | 53.6 g | 689 | 2.3 g | 119.6 g |
Raw vs cooked
Protein per 100 g differs between the raw and cooked weight of the same food, so use the row that matches how you weigh it.
Lentils absorb water when they are boiled, so 100 g of cooked lentils holds less lentil than 100 g of dry lentils. USDA lists 24.63 g of protein per 100 g for raw (dry) lentils and 9.02 g per 100 g boiled. A cup of dry lentils weighs 192 g and a cup of boiled lentils 198 g. Use the raw row if you weigh lentils dry and the boiled row if you weigh them cooked.
How it compares
Similar foods sorted by protein per 100 kcal (main entry for each food).
| Food | Protein per 100 kcalProtein / 100 kcal | Protein (Per 100 g)Protein / 100 g | kcal (Per 100 g)kcal / 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tofu, firm (calcium sulfate and nigari) | 11.6 g | 9.0 g | 78 |
| Edamame, prepared | 9.8 g | 11.9 g | 121 |
| Lentils, boiled (without salt) | 7.8 g | 9.0 g | 116 |
| Chickpeas, boiled | 5.4 g | 8.9 g | 164 |
| Peanuts, dry-roasted | 4.1 g | 24.4 g | 587 |
| Almonds, raw | 3.7 g | 21.2 g | 579 |
To find your own daily protein target, use the Protein Intake Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much protein is in a cup of cooked lentils?
A cup of boiled lentils (198 g) has 17.9 g of protein and 230 kcal (USDA FDC 172421).
How much protein is in 100 g of dry vs cooked lentils?
Dry (raw) lentils have 24.6 g of protein per 100 g. Boiled lentils have 9.0 g per 100 g.
Why do dry lentils show more protein per 100 g than cooked?
Boiled lentils contain absorbed water, so 100 g of cooked lentils holds less lentil than 100 g of dry. USDA lists 24.63 g of protein per 100 g raw (FDC 172420) and 9.02 g per 100 g boiled (FDC 172421).
How much protein is in 2 cups of boiled lentils?
Two cups of boiled lentils (396 g) have 35.7 g of protein and 459 kcal.
How many calories are in a cup of boiled lentils?
A cup of boiled lentils (198 g) has 230 kcal, with 17.9 g of protein, 0.8 g of fat and 39.9 g of carbohydrate.
How many carbohydrates are in a cup of boiled lentils?
A cup of boiled lentils (198 g) has 39.9 g of carbohydrate, from USDA's 20.13 g per 100 g. A cup of dry lentils (192 g) has 121.6 g.
Related foods
All values come from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), per 100 g. Per-serving and scaled values are calculated from them.