Lentils are one of the most affordable and nutritious legumes around, and their protein-to-carb profile is exactly why they show up so often in diets built around careful nutrition tracking. But as with grains, it’s worth knowing that the macro numbers shift quite a bit depending on whether you’re looking at dry lentils or the cooked result.

Macros per 100 g of cooked lentils

On average, 100 g of cooked lentils comes to roughly 110-120 calories, about 9 g of protein, 20 g of carbohydrates (a good chunk of which, around 7-8 g, is fiber), and only 0.3-0.4 g of fat. That’s a fairly low calorie count paired with a solid amount of protein and fiber, which is exactly why lentils have a reputation for being filling without being calorie-dense.

Why the numbers are lower than for dry lentils

Like most legumes and grains, lentils absorb water as they cook and roughly double to two-and-a-half times in volume. That’s why the numbers per 100 g of the cooked product are noticeably lower than per 100 g of dry lentils: dry lentils run around 300-320 calories per 100 g, compared to the 110-120 calories mentioned above for the cooked version. Mixing up dry and cooked weight is a common reason people over- or under-estimate how many calories are in a serving.

The protein in lentils

About 9 g of protein per 100 g cooked is noticeably more than most grains offer, which makes lentils one of the key plant-based protein sources in vegetarian and vegan diets. That said, like most plant proteins, lentils don’t provide a complete amino acid profile on their own — they’re relatively low in methionine — so pairing them with a grain like rice or bread rounds out the amino acid mix nicely.

Carbohydrates and fiber

Most of the mass of cooked lentils comes from carbohydrates, and a significant share of that is fiber, typically around 7-8 g per 100 g. That much fiber goes a long way toward keeping you full and gently supports digestion. The combination of high fiber and a relatively low glycemic index is what makes lentils a convenient side dish for anyone watching their blood sugar.

Virtually no fat

Lentils are one of the leanest plant protein sources out there — well under half a gram of fat per 100 g cooked. That’s worth keeping in mind if a dish is made with added oil, a creamy sauce, or vegetables sautéed in fat, since in that case the calorie and fat content of the final dish comes mostly from those additions rather than from the lentils themselves.

How different lentil varieties compare

Red, green, brown, and black lentils are all fairly similar in macros, with a few nuances. Red lentils are usually sold hulled, with the outer seed coat removed, so they tend to have a bit less fiber than green or brown lentils, which keep their seed coat intact. Green and brown lentils also take longer to cook and hold their shape better, while red lentils break down quickly into a softer texture — that’s mostly a matter of cooking behavior rather than a major difference in calories.

Lentils in a serving or as part of a dish

A standard serving of cooked lentils as a side is usually 150-200 g, which works out to roughly 165-240 calories and 13-18 g of protein. When lentils are part of a soup or stew with oil, meat, or other ingredients, the total calorie count of the dish will be higher — but that increase comes from those additions, not from the lentils themselves.

What to keep in mind when tracking macros

For everyday tracking, it’s simplest to go by the weight of the cooked lentils rather than the dry ones, using roughly 115 calories, 9 g of protein, and 20 g of carbohydrates per 100 g as a working baseline. That figure is accurate enough for day-to-day meal planning and saves you from having to weigh out dry lentils in advance.