Green Lentils Nutrition Benefits and Facts

Nutritional summary

Green lentils are consistently linked to improved heart health, as meta-analyses show that regular pulse consumption can lower total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol by approximately 6–7% .
These pulses help regulate blood sugar levels due to their low glycemic index (a measure of how quickly a food raises blood glucose) and high content of prebiotic carbohydrates that support gut health .
Green lentils provide a high-quality plant protein profile that is notably rich in the amino acid lysine, though they are naturally lower in sulfur-containing amino acids compared to cereal grains .
One randomized clinical trial found that eating a daily serving of green lentils for 12 weeks significantly improved fasting cholesterol and post-meal glucose responses without causing gastrointestinal distress .

Interesting fact

Green lentils are often referred to as 'Puy' lentils if grown in the volcanic soil of the Le Puy region in France, where they have been cultivated for over 2,000 years.

Standout nutrients

EPIC

SOURCE

Molybdenum

SUPER

SOURCE

Chromium

EPIC

SOURCE

Selenium

EPIC

SOURCE

Iron

318

kcal per 100g

Protein23.8g

Fat1.94g

Carbs44.7g

Fiber14.4g

Sugar1.65g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat0.85g

Monounsat0.37g

Saturated0.26g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

VeganVegetarianPescatarianGluten FreeDairy Free

Sustainability

Lighter footprint

Pulses have a very low carbon footprint and improve soil health by fixing nitrogen.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Airtight Container

1–2 years

Store in a cool, dry place

Refrigerate

3–5 days

Applies to cooked lentils

Freeze

3–6 months

Cooked lentils freeze well

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 4 validated sources

French Food Database

2 contributing source foods

Phenol-Explorer

1 contributing source food

Swiss Food Database

1 contributing source food

McCance & Widdowson

1 contributing source food

Claim citations

Legumes and Pulses - The Nutrition Source - Harvard University

[1]nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu

Polyphenol-Rich Lentils and Their Health Promoting Effects - PMC

[2]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Green lentil fortification of wheat bread: a strategy for quality improvement and acrylamide reduction - PMC

[3]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing nutrition with pulses: defining a recommended serving size for adults - PMC

[6]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Twelve Weeks of Daily Lentil Consumption Improves Fasting Cholesterol and Postprandial Glucose and Inflammatory Responses—A Randomized Clinical Trial - PMC

[7]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Review of the Relationship between Lentil Serving and Acute Postprandial Blood Glucose Response: Effects of Dietary Fibre, Protein and Carbohydrates - PMC

[10]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

97.9

Version

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