Lentils Logo
EN Germany flag Netherlands flag
  • Recipes & Cooking
    • Recipes
    • How to Cook Lentils
    • Recipe Collections
    • Chef Michael Smith
    • Chef Spotlight
  • Health & Nutrition
    • Nutritional Information
    • Dietary Specific
    • Real Stories
    • Articles & Posts
    • Resource Library
  • Foodservice
    • Recipes
    • Resources
    • Training Videos
    • Sustainability
    • Pop-up Event Toolkits
    • Articles
  • About Lentils
    • Lentil Production
    • Global Uses
    • Where to Find Lentils
    • Helpful Lentil Resources
    • About Lentils.org
  • Recipes & Cooking
    • Recipes
    • How to Cook Lentils
    • Recipe Collections
    • Chef Michael Smith
    • Chef Spotlight
  • Health & Nutrition
    • Nutritional Information
    • Dietary Specific
    • Real Stories
    • Articles & Posts
    • Resource Library
  • Foodservice
    • Recipes
    • Resources
    • Training Videos
    • Sustainability
    • Pop-up Event Toolkits
    • Articles
  • About Lentils
    • Lentil Production
    • Global Uses
    • Where to Find Lentils
    • Helpful Lentil Resources
    • About Lentils.org

Nutritional Information

You do not need to look far to find healthy food options – locally grown in Canada, lentils are nutritious staples that offer an array of health benefits.

Nutrition Overview
Lentils are high in fibre, and complex carbohydrates, while low in fat and calories. Their high protein content makes lentils a perfect option for those looking to boost their protein intake. They are naturally gluten-free, making them a delicious staple in a gluten-free kitchen. Their exceptionally low glycemic index (low GI) values and resistant starch content make them suitable for a diabetic diet.

Protein
Did you know? When combined with a whole grain, lentils provide the same quality protein as meat!
Lentils are good source of protein. A ½ cup serving of cooked lentils provides about 12 grams of protein. With such high protein content, you are sure to be fuelled up all day long.

Fibre
Did you know? Just 1/2 cup of cooked green lentils packs in 32% of your days’ worth of fibre!
Lentils are an excellent source of fibre. In addition to gut mobility, dietary fibre is well known for many health benefits. Notably, high intake of fibre is associated with lower blood cholesterol levels and protection against developing colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

Potassium
Did you know? Just 1/2 cup of cooked split red lentils has 273 mg of potassium!
We are so driven to reduce salt that sometimes we forget to look at the other half of the equation: getting enough potassium. Potassium can counteract the damaging effect of sodium and has been shown to lower blood pressure.

Folate
Did you know? Out of all plant-based foods, lentils contain the most folate!
Lentils are an excellent source of folate. A type of B-vitamin, folate helps support red blood cell formation and proper nerve functions. Folate also plays an important role in lowering artery-damaging homocysteine. In addition, the water-soluble vitamin may help prevent anemia and protect against developing heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Folate is particularly important for women of childbearing age, as it is needed to support increasing maternal blood volume.

Iron
Did you know? Just 1/2 cup of cooked lentils provides 15% of your daily iron needs!
Iron plays an integral role in the formation of hemoglobin in blood and myoglobin in the muscles, both of which carry oxygen to the cells. That is why fatigue and tiredness are usually the first symptoms people notice when they are low in iron. For vegetarians, getting enough iron particularly challenging. Regularly including lentils in your diet can help boost your iron intake.

Manganese
Lentils are a very good source of manganese. This mineral is stored mainly in our bones and in major organs including the liver, kidney, and pancreas. Manganese plays a role in maintaining normal blood sugar level, and helps protect against free-radical damage.

Split Red Lentils

split-red-lentils

Whole Green Lentils

large-green-lentils

Featured Recipe:

Mini Curried Lentil Cakes with Herbed Yogurt

View All Recipes

Sign Up to Receive Our Recipes

Lentils.org
  • About Lentils
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal

2023 Lentils.org. All Rights Reserved.

Quick Links

  • Recipes
  • Where to find lentils
  • Helpful lentil resources
  • FAQs
  • Chef Michael Smith
  • Resources library

How to Cook Lentils

Cooking lentils is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Learn More

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie Settings Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_cb1 yearThis cookie stores a visitor's unique identifier for Chartbeat tracking on your site.
_cb_svref30 minutesThis cookie stores the original referrer for this site visitor -- for example, this will store the fact that a visitor arrived to your site via Twitter, past the first page view, so that when a visitor recirculates to a different article page, we still know that they originally arrived on your site via Twitter. This cookie expires after 30 minutes but the timer is reset if a visitor visits a new page on your site before the cookie expires.
_chartbeat21 yearThis cookie stores timing information about when this visitor has visited your site before. This enables us to distinguish between new, returning, and loyal visitors.
_chartbeat41 minuteThis is a short-lived cookie that carries leftover engagement data from one page to the next, to make sure that we can send it to our servers successfully from the next page. This ensures that we capture as much engagement data as possible.
_chartbeat51 minuteThis is a short-lived cookie that carries click information from one page to the next. This enables us to track which links on a page were clicked on to display to editors in real-time.
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat1 minuteSet by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visited in an anonymous form.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
_fbp3 monthsUsed by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real time bidding from third party advertisers.
Save & Accept

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location