How much protein is in lentils?
Lentils has 8.9 g of protein per 1/2 cup cooked (99 g) — that's 9 g per 100 g, or about 2.6 g per ounce. One 1/2 cup cooked is roughly 18% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · cooked, boiled · FDC 172421
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup cooked (99 g) | 8.9 g | 115 | 0.4 g | 19.9 g |
| 100 g | 9 g | 116 | 0.4 g | 20.1 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 2.6 g | 33 | 0.1 g | 5.7 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 172421, SR Legacy). cooked, boiled.
Pound for pound, lentils are about as protein-dense as a legume gets short of soy. A cooked cup (198 g) carries roughly 18 grams of protein, and the standard 1/2-cup serving lands near 8.9 grams — meaningfully ahead of most cooked beans and far ahead of the grains they’re usually served with. For anyone building meals around plant protein, lentils are a workhorse: cheap, shelf-stable as a dry good, and unusually fast to cook.
A complete protein? Not quite — and that’s fine
Here’s the one honest asterisk on lentil protein: it’s incomplete. Like most legumes, lentils run a little short on the amino acid methionine, so eaten entirely on their own they’re not an ideal protein source the way eggs or fish are. This is the detail that gets oversold into a problem it isn’t.
The reason it isn’t a problem is complementary proteins. Grains have the opposite shortfall — they’re low in lysine, which lentils have plenty of. Put the two together and the gaps cancel out. Lentils over rice, a lentil soup with bread, dal with naan: every classic lentil dish on the planet already does this, not by accident. And the combining doesn’t have to happen in one sitting. As long as you’re eating grains somewhere across the day, your body pools the amino acids and assembles complete protein on its own. So the practical takeaway is relaxed, not fussy: eat lentils, keep eating your normal grains, and the “incomplete” label stops mattering.
The everyday edge: fast to cook, and far more than protein
What sets lentils apart from beans isn’t only the protein number — it’s that they’re quick-cooking. Nearly every dried bean wants an overnight soak and an hour or more of simmering. Lentils need neither: rinse, drop them in water, and they’re tender in 20 to 30 minutes (red lentils, even faster). That single difference is why lentils get cooked on a Tuesday when a bag of dried chickpeas stays in the cupboard.
The protein also doesn’t arrive alone. A 1/2-cup serving brings about 8 grams of fiber — a big chunk of a day’s worth — plus a solid hit of iron and folate, all for around 115 calories. That fiber matters two ways: it’s part of why lentils are so filling, and the iron makes them a genuinely useful food for people eating little or no meat (pair them with something high in vitamin C, like tomatoes or peppers, to absorb that plant iron better). Strong protein, high fiber, real micronutrients, low calories — that’s the whole case for lentils as a staple.
Why cooked looks “low” — the water effect
The number that confuses people: dry lentils are about 25 g of protein per 100 g, but the cooked figure on this page is 9 g per 100 g. Nothing was lost in the pot. Lentils soak up water as they cook and end up roughly 70% water, so every 100 g of the cooked food now includes all that absorbed liquid — which dilutes the per-100-g protein even though the actual protein is unchanged. This is why the per-portion view is the honest one: a cup you actually eat delivers ~18 g regardless of how the per-100-g math reads.
Fitting lentils into a protein goal
Lentils are a strong plant-protein staple, not a complete diet in a bowl. At ~9 g per 1/2 cup and ~18 g per cup, they pull real weight — but to hit a daily target comfortably you’ll want to rotate them with grains (for the complete amino-acid picture) and other proteins across your meals. To size your servings against an actual number, see our guide on how much protein you need per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in a cup of cooked lentils?
About 18 grams per cooked cup (198 g), or roughly 8.9 grams in a 1/2-cup serving (99 g). That works out to 9 grams per 100 grams (USDA FDC 172421). Among everyday legumes, that's about as high as plant protein gets without going to soy.
Are lentils a complete protein?
Not on their own. Lentils are a little low in the amino acid methionine, so they're technically an 'incomplete' protein. The fix is simple: eat grains — rice, bread, oats — at some point during the same day. Grains supply the methionine lentils lack, and lentils supply the lysine grains lack. You don't have to combine them in the same meal; across a normal day's eating, your body fills in the gaps.
Do lentils have more protein than beans?
Usually a touch more, and they cook far faster. Cooked lentils run about 9 g protein per 100 g, edging out most cooked beans (black beans are around 8.9 g). The bigger practical difference is convenience — lentils need no overnight soak and simmer in 20–30 minutes, where dried beans want an hour-plus.
Why does dry lentil protein look so much higher than cooked?
Dry lentils are about 25 g protein per 100 g; cooked are about 9 g. Nothing is lost — the lentils simply absorb water as they cook (cooked lentils are roughly 70% water), so each 100 g now includes all that water. Judge them by the cooked portion you actually eat, not the per-100-g figure.
Are lentils good for more than just protein?
Yes — they're one of the better all-around plant foods. A 1/2-cup serving brings about 8 g of fiber along with iron and folate, all for roughly 115 calories. The fiber and slow-digesting carbs are a big part of why lentils keep you full.
Can you build a high-protein diet on lentils?
They're a strong staple, but you'll want variety. At ~18 g per cup they contribute real protein, yet you still need to rotate in grains (for complete amino acids) and other sources to hit a daily target comfortably. See our guide on how much protein you need per day to size your portions.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-03, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 172421 (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt). We re-verify reference pages periodically.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.