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  6. Couscous vs. Lentil

Couscous vs. Lentil — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are Couscous and Lentil different?

  • Couscous is higher in Selenium, however, Lentil is richer in Folate, Iron, Fiber, Copper, Phosphorus, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Zinc, and Potassium.
  • Daily need coverage for Selenium from Couscous is 45% higher.

Couscous, cooked and Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Couscous vs Lentil infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
9
Lentil
Lentil
Contains more Selenium +882.1%
Contains more Calcium +137.5%
Contains more Iron +776.3%
Contains more Magnesium +350%
Contains more Phosphorus +718.2%
Contains more Potassium +536.2%
Contains less Sodium -60%
Contains more Zinc +388.5%
Contains more Copper +512.2%
Contains more Manganese +488.1%
Couscous
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 15% 6% 10% 6% 1% 8% 14% 11% 150%
Lentil
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 6% 125% 26% 78% 33% 1% 35% 84% 65% 16%
Contains more Selenium +882.1%
Contains more Calcium +137.5%
Contains more Iron +776.3%
Contains more Magnesium +350%
Contains more Phosphorus +718.2%
Contains more Potassium +536.2%
Contains less Sodium -60%
Contains more Zinc +388.5%
Contains more Copper +512.2%
Contains more Manganese +488.1%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
9
Lentil
Lentil
Contains more Vitamin E +18.2%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +168.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +170.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +72%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +249%
Contains more Folate +1106.7%
Contains more Vitamin K +1600%
Equal in Vitamin B3 - 1.06
Couscous
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 3% 0% 0% 16% 7% 19% 23% 12% 12% 0% 1%
Lentil
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 1% 3% 0% 5% 43% 17% 20% 39% 42% 136% 0% 5%
Contains more Vitamin E +18.2%
Contains more Vitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +168.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +170.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +72%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +249%
Contains more Folate +1106.7%
Contains more Vitamin K +1600%
Equal in Vitamin B3 - 1.06

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
2
:
3
Lentil
Lentil
Contains more Carbs +15.4%
Contains more Protein +138%
Contains more Fats +137.5%
Contains more Other +219.2%
Equal in Water - 69.64
Couscous
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Lentil
9% 20% 70%
Protein: 9.02 g
Fats: 0.38 g
Carbs: 20.13 g
Water: 69.64 g
Other: 0.83 g
Contains more Carbs +15.4%
Contains more Protein +138%
Contains more Fats +137.5%
Contains more Other +219.2%
Equal in Water - 69.64

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
2
Lentil
Lentil
Contains less Saturated Fat -45.3%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +190.9%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +173.4%
Couscous
25% 19% 56%
Saturated Fat: 0.029 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.064 g
Lentil
18% 22% 60%
Saturated Fat: 0.053 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.064 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.175 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -45.3%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +190.9%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +173.4%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Couscous Lentil
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Couscous Lentil Opinion
Net carbs 21.82g 12.23g Couscous
Protein 3.79g 9.02g Lentil
Fats 0.16g 0.38g Lentil
Carbs 23.22g 20.13g Couscous
Calories 112kcal 116kcal Lentil
Sugar 0.1g 1.8g Couscous
Fiber 1.4g 7.9g Lentil
Calcium 8mg 19mg Lentil
Iron 0.38mg 3.33mg Lentil
Magnesium 8mg 36mg Lentil
Phosphorus 22mg 180mg Lentil
Potassium 58mg 369mg Lentil
Sodium 5mg 2mg Lentil
Zinc 0.26mg 1.27mg Lentil
Copper 0.041mg 0.251mg Lentil
Manganese 0.084mg 0.494mg Lentil
Selenium 27.5µg 2.8µg Couscous
Vitamin A 0IU 8IU Lentil
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.11mg Couscous
Vitamin C 0mg 1.5mg Lentil
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.169mg Lentil
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.073mg Lentil
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 1.06mg Lentil
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.638mg Lentil
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.178mg Lentil
Folate 15µg 181µg Lentil
Vitamin K 0.1µg 1.7µg Lentil
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.081mg Lentil
Threonine 0.1mg 0.323mg Lentil
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.39mg Lentil
Leucine 0.259mg 0.654mg Lentil
Lysine 0.073mg 0.63mg Lentil
Methionine 0.059mg 0.077mg Lentil
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.445mg Lentil
Valine 0.162mg 0.448mg Lentil
Histidine 0.077mg 0.254mg Lentil
Saturated Fat 0.029g 0.053g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.022g 0.064g Lentil
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.175g Lentil

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Lentil
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
7%
Couscous
26%
Lentil
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Couscous
46%
Lentil

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Lentil
Lentil contains less Sodium (difference - 3mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Lentil
Lentil is lower in glycemic index (difference - 36)
Which food is cheaper?
Lentil
Lentil is cheaper (difference - $0.2)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Lentil
Lentil is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Lentil
Lentil is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.7g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.024g)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Couscous - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169700/nutrients
  2. Lentil - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172421/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.