Lentils or black beans, cup for cup
Almost a tie by the cup
A cup of cooked lentils has 230 calories and a cup of cooked black beans has 227. By weight they aren't as close. Lentils have 116 calories per 100 g and black beans have 132.
The cups come out even because a cup of lentils is heavier, 198 g against 172 g.
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. Source checked September 29, 2026.
Half cups, full cups and dry cups
Half a cup of cooked lentils has 115 calories and half a cup of cooked black beans has 114.
Measuring before you cook? A cup of dry lentils is 192 g and 676 calories, and a cup of dry black beans is 194 g and 662. Dry and cooked cup measures are not interchangeable, so log the cooked amount you eat.
| Portion | Weight | Calories kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g | Fiber g | Sugar g | Sodium mg | Caffeine mg | Portion source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup cooked lentils | 198 g | 230 | 17.9 | 39.9 | 0.8 | 15.6 | 3.6 | 4 | 0 | USDA portion, 1 cup |
| 1 cup cooked black beans | 172 g | 227 | 15.2 | 40.8 | 0.9 | 15 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 0 | USDA portion, 1 cup |
| Half a cup cooked lentils | 99 g | 115 | 8.9 | 19.9 | 0.4 | 7.8 | 1.8 | 2 | 0 | Half a cup, computed from USDA's 1 cup |
| Half a cup cooked black beans | 86 g | 114 | 7.6 | 20.4 | 0.5 | 7.5 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0 | Half a cup, computed from USDA's 1 cup |
| 1 cup dry lentils | 192 g | 676 | 47.3 | 121.6 | 2 | 20.5 | 3.9 | 11.5 | 0 | USDA portion, 1 cup |
| 1 cup dry black beans | 194 g | 662 | 41.9 | 121 | 2.8 | 30.1 | 4.1 | 9.7 | 0 | USDA portion, 1 cup |
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, raw. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, raw. Source checked September 29, 2026.
Protein and fiber in cooked lentils
USDA's record for lentils boiled without salt lists 9 g of protein per 100 g. Black beans are nearly level at 8.9 g. Black beans have a little more fiber, 8.7 g per 100 g against 7.9 g, and lentils have more sugar, 1.8 g against 0.3 g.
The table below is for a cup of cooked lentils. Want the full picture for just one of them? Lentils and black beans each have their own page, and other beans are in the full list of calorie references.
| Nutrient | 1 cup cooked lentils | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 230 kcal | 116 kcal |
| Protein | 17.9 g | 9 g |
| Carbs | 39.9 g | 20.1 g |
| Fat | 0.8 g | 0.4 g |
| Fiber | 15.6 g | 7.9 g |
| Sugar | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Sodium | 4 mg | 2 mg |
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. Source checked September 29, 2026.
All four side by side at 100 g
Dry, the two are close again. Dry lentils have 352 calories per 100 g and dry black beans have 341. The cooked records list 116 calories per 100 g for lentils and 132 for black beans.
| Preparation | Weight | Calories kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g | Fiber g | Sugar g | Sodium mg | Caffeine mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked lentils, boiled without salt | 100 g | 116 | 9 | 20.1 | 0.4 | 7.9 | 1.8 | 2 | 0 |
| Cooked black beans, boiled without salt | 100 g | 132 | 8.9 | 23.7 | 0.5 | 8.7 | 0.3 | 1 | 0 |
| Dry lentils, uncooked | 100 g | 352 | 24.6 | 63.4 | 1.1 | 10.7 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Dry black beans, uncooked | 100 g | 341 | 21.6 | 62.4 | 1.4 | 15.5 | 2.1 | 5 | 0 |
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, raw. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, raw. Source checked September 29, 2026.
Weigh cooked lentils
The calculator below uses cooked lentils. For cooked black beans, use 132 calories per 100 g instead.
Eating a lentil soup or a black bean burrito? Describe the dish to TrueCal and review the estimate.
198 g has about 230 calories.
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. Source checked September 29, 2026.
Which has more protein, lentils or black beans?
Per cup, cooked lentils have 17.9 g of protein and cooked black beans have 15.2 g. By weight they're almost even, 9 g against 8.9 g per 100 g.
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. Source checked September 29, 2026.
Are black lentils the same as black beans?
No. Black lentils are a small lentil, and black beans are a larger bean. USDA's lentil record doesn't name a color, so the lentil numbers here are for lentils in general.
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. Source checked September 29, 2026.
Log the portion you ate
Add food from a photo or a sentence, then check the portion before saving.
USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt. USDA FoodData Central. Lentils, raw. USDA FoodData Central. Beans, black, mature seeds, raw. Source checked September 29, 2026.