Protein
Lentils
Dry lentils cost under two dollars a pound, cook in 20 minutes without soaking, and deliver 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber per cooked cup. Nothing else in the store matches that on either axis per dollar.
Organic upgrade priority
Residue data does not apply
- →Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to this food in the same way.
Key numbers
- Nutrient density
- 93/100
- Per calorie, across the whole database
- Typical price
- $2.29
- per 1 lb bag · organic +44%
- Servings a week
- 3
- Per person, at typical purchase volume
What to look at instead
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to lentils the way it does to fresh produce. These are the measures that actually decide the purchase.
- Cost per 10 g protein
- $0.21
- The cheapest protein in this dataset
- Fiber per serving
- 15.6 g
- Over half a day in one cup
- Prep time
- 20 min
- No soaking required, unlike most dry beans
- Processing level
- Whole food
Nutrition
Per 1 cup cooked (198 g).
230
calories
17.9 g
protein
15.6 g
fiber
4 mg
sodium
- Fiber 56% DV
- Folate 90% DV
- Iron 37% DV
Buying and storing
- ◆Red lentils dissolve into a purée and are for soups and dals; green and brown hold their shape for salads. Buying the wrong one is the usual reason people decide they dislike lentils.
- ◆Adding acid — tomatoes, lemon, vinegar — early in cooking keeps lentils firm. Add it at the end if you want them soft.
Common questions
›Is lentils a healthy choice?
Dry lentils cost under two dollars a pound, cook in 20 minutes without soaking, and deliver 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber per cooked cup. Nothing else in the store matches that on either axis per dollar. A 1 cup cooked (198 g) serving provides 230 calories, 17.9 g protein, and 15.6 g fiber, scoring 93/100 on nutrient density.
›Does lentils need to be organic?
Pesticide residue monitoring does not apply to lentils the way it does to fresh produce, so this site does not assign an organic upgrade priority. The label buys you a defined set of production standards rather than a measurable change in residue evidence.
›What can I buy instead of lentils?
If the organic version is out of budget or the fresh price has spiked, Black beans, Chickpeas, Tofu cover similar ground on this list. Each one is either lower on residue evidence, cheaper per serving, or both.
Related foods
Black beans
$1.29 / 15 oz can · organic $1.89
Nutrition 91/100 · 15.2 g protein · 15 g fiber
Not applicableChickpeas
$1.29 / 15 oz can · organic $1.89
Nutrition 89/100 · 14.5 g protein · 12.5 g fiber
Not applicableTofu
$2.79 / 14 oz block · organic $3.49
Nutrition 87/100 · 21.8 g protein · 2.9 g fiber
Not applicableSalmon
$12.99 / lb
Nutrition 92/100 · 25 g protein · 0 g fiber
Not applicable