Lentils (cooked) vs Chickpeas (cooked)

The short answer

Both cooked pulses, high in fibre and plant protein. Lentils are lower in calories and cook fast with no soaking; chickpeas are starchier with a bit more fat and a firmer bite. Lentils for a quick, lighter base, chickpeas for a heartier, nuttier one.

Lentils (cooked) and Chickpeas (cooked), per 100 g and per portion. A gap means USDA has no value for it — not zero.

	Lentils (cooked) · per 100 g	Chickpeas (cooked) · per 100 g
Calories	116	164
Protein	9 g	8.9 g
Fat	0.4 g	2.6 g
Carbs	20.1 g	27.4 g
Fiber	7.9 g	7.6 g
Sugars	1.8 g	4.8 g
Sodium	2 mg	7 mg
Vitamins & minerals — where both carry data
Calcium	19 mg	49 mg
Folate	181 µg	172 µg
Iron	3.3 mg	2.9 mg
Magnesium	36 mg	48 mg
Niacin	1.1 mg	0.5 mg
Phosphorus	180 mg	168 mg
Potassium	369 mg	291 mg
Riboflavin	0.1 mg	0.1 mg
Thiamin	0.2 mg	0.1 mg
Vitamin A	0 µg	1 µg
Vitamin B12	0 µg	0 µg
Vitamin B6	0.2 mg	0.1 mg
Vitamin C	1.5 mg	1.3 mg
Vitamin D	0 µg	0 µg
Vitamin E	0.1 mg	0.4 mg
Vitamin K	1.7 µg	4 µg
Zinc	1.3 mg	1.5 mg

At equal calories (per 100 kcal)

Protein — Lentils (cooked): 7.8 g, Chickpeas (cooked): 5.4 g · Fiber — Lentils (cooked): 6.8 g, Chickpeas (cooked): 4.6 g · Sodium — Lentils (cooked): 1.7 mg, Chickpeas (cooked): 4.3 mg

Generic USDA foods (not brands), so both carry micronutrients. Numbers are per 100 g unless the portion toggle is on. USDA FoodData Central, as of 2026-08-12.

Common questions

Is Lentils (cooked) or Chickpeas (cooked) better?

Neither is “better” on its own — it depends what you want from it. The table shows where each is higher; the short answer says when each one fits. Compare on the same basis (per 100 g) and pick for your dish and your goal.

How were these numbers worked out?

Straight from USDA FoodData Central for the generic form of each food, per 100 g. We show the portion view too, but portion sizes differ between foods, so per 100 g is the fair comparison.

Why does one column say “no data”?

Because USDA has no value for that nutrient in that food — so we leave it blank rather than print a 0 that would read as “none”. A real zero from USDA still shows as 0.