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Lentil vs. Pasta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between lentil and pasta

  • Pasta contains less folate, iron, copper, phosphorus, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin B5, and zinc than lentil.
  • Daily need coverage for folate for lentil is 29% higher.
  • Pasta has 15 times less potassium than lentil. Lentil has 369mg of potassium, while pasta has 24mg.
  • Pasta has a higher glycemic index than lentil.

Food types used in this article are Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt and Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked.

Infographic

Lentil vs Pasta infographic
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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.
Lentil
10
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 26% 5.7% 33% 125% 84% 35% 77% 0.26% 64% 15%
Pasta
0
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 13% 1.8% 2.1% 43% 31% 15% 27% 0.78% 29% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +100%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +216.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +1437.5%
Contains more IronIron +192.1%
Contains more CopperCopper +169.9%
Contains more ZincZinc +126.8%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +185.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium -66.7%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +120.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%

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.
Lentil
7
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 5% 0% 2.2% 0% 42% 17% 20% 38% 41% 0% 4.3% 136% 18%
Pasta
4
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 2% 0% 0% 52% 35% 19% 11% 7.8% 18% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +248.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +423.5%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +182.8%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +23.7%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +105.5%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B3 ~0.992mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Lentil
3
9% 20% 70%
Protein: 9.02 g
Fats: 0.38 g
Carbs: 20.13 g
Water: 69.64 g
Other: 0.83 g
Pasta
2
5% 25% 69%
Protein: 5.15 g
Fats: 1.05 g
Carbs: 24.93 g
Water: 68.56 g
Other: 0.31 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +75.1%
Contains more OtherOther +167.7%
Contains more FatsFats +176.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +23.8%
~equal in Water ~68.56g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Lentil
1
18% 22% 60%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.053 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.064 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.175 g
Pasta
2
21% 18% 61%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.15 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.124 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.429 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -64.7%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +93.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +145.1%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Lentil Pasta DV% diff.
Fiber 7.9g 32%
Folate 181µg 64µg 29%
Iron 3.33mg 1.14mg 27%
Copper 0.251mg 0.093mg 18%
Phosphorus 180mg 63mg 17%
Manganese 0.494mg 0.224mg 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 33mg 11%
Vitamin B6 0.178mg 0.034mg 11%
Potassium 369mg 24mg 10%
Vitamin B5 0.638mg 0.183mg 9%
Protein 9.02g 5.15g 8%
Vitamin B2 0.073mg 0.15mg 6%
Choline 32.7mg 6%
Zinc 1.27mg 0.56mg 6%
Vitamin B12 0µg 0.14µg 6%
Selenium 2.8µg 5%
Magnesium 36mg 18mg 4%
Vitamin B1 0.169mg 0.209mg 3%
Carbs 20.13g 24.93g 2%
Vitamin C 1.5mg 0mg 2%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.175g 0.429g 2%
Vitamin K 1.7µg 1%
Calories 116kcal 131kcal 1%
Fats 0.38g 1.05g 1%
Vitamin E 0.11mg 1%
Vitamin A 0µg 6µg 1%
Calcium 19mg 6mg 1%
Net carbs 12.23g 24.93g N/A
Sugar 1.8g N/A
Sodium 2mg 6mg 0%
Vitamin B3 1.06mg 0.992mg 0%
Saturated fat 0.053g 0.15g 0%
Monounsaturated fat 0.064g 0.124g 0%
Tryptophan 0.081mg 0.065mg 0%
Threonine 0.323mg 0.134mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.39mg 0.197mg 0%
Leucine 0.654mg 0.348mg 0%
Lysine 0.63mg 0.097mg 0%
Methionine 0.077mg 0.079mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.445mg 0.247mg 0%
Valine 0.448mg 0.217mg 0%
Histidine 0.254mg 0.103mg 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Lentil Pasta
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
25%
Lentil
15%
Pasta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
46%
Lentil
16%
Pasta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 1.8g)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Lentil
Lentil is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Lentil
Lentil contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Lentil
Lentil is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.097g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Lentil
Lentil is lower in glycemic index (difference - 20)
Which food is cheaper?
Lentil
Lentil is cheaper (difference - $1.9)
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

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. Lentil - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172421/nutrients
  2. Pasta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169728/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.