Lentils are one of the most nutrient-dense plant foods, but the calories in a serving can vary depending on whether they are cooked or dry, and which variety you choose. This lentil calorie calculator lets you estimate the energy content — plus protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and net carbs — for any amount of brown, green, red, black, or French lentils. Just enter your portion size and select the form and variety, and you’ll get an instant nutrition snapshot.
Whether you’re tracking macros, planning a plant-based meal, or simply curious about how your lentil soup or curry fits into your daily calorie target, this tool gives you a practical answer in seconds. It uses standard USDA nutrition values per 100 grams, with convenient conversions for cups and ounces. Use it alongside your favorite lentil recipes, meal prep plans, or calorie-tracking app to build balanced, satisfying meals.
🍽️ Enter Your Lentil Portion
How to Use This Tool
Start by selecting the lentil type and form that matches what’s on your plate. The most important choice is cooked versus dry, because water absorption dramatically changes the calorie density. Then enter your portion size in grams, US cups, or ounces, and hit Calculate Calories.
- Lentil type & form: Choose from cooked brown/green, cooked red/yellow, cooked black beluga, cooked French green, or dry raw lentils. The calorie and macro values change significantly between cooked and dry, so this selection is important.
- Amount: Enter the portion size in grams, US cups, or ounces. The calculator converts your entry to grams before applying the nutrition data.
- Quick fill: Use the preset buttons for common portions like ½ cup cooked or 1 cup dry to speed things up.
After you click Calculate, you’ll see total calories, protein, total carbohydrates, fiber, and net carbs. The breakdown line shows how the final calorie number was derived, which is handy if you need to record the calculation in a food diary.
Nutrition Reference
The table below summarizes the approximate nutrition values used by this calculator, expressed per 100 grams. Actual values can vary slightly with brand, growing region, and cooking time, but these figures align closely with USDA FoodData Central.
| Lentil type | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown / green, cooked | 116 | 9.0 | 20.1 | 7.9 |
| Red / yellow split, cooked | 106 | 8.9 | 18.5 | 4.9 |
| Black beluga, cooked | 117 | 9.0 | 20.0 | 8.3 |
| French green, cooked | 116 | 9.0 | 20.1 | 7.9 |
| Dry raw, all varieties | 352 | 24.6 | 63.4 | 10.7 |
In the dry form, fiber and carbs are concentrated by weight. Once cooked, water dilutes the energy density, which is why cooked lentils contain about one-third of the calories of dry lentils gram-for-gram.
How It Works
The calculation uses a simple proportional method:
For example, if you eat 150 g of cooked brown lentils, the calorie math works out as: (150 ÷ 100) × 116 = 174 kcal. The same proportional logic is applied to protein, total carbs, fiber, and net carbs. Net carbs are calculated as total carbohydrates minus fiber, which is a helpful metric for low-carb meal planning.
For portion entries in cups or ounces, the calculator first converts to grams using standard approximations: 1 cup of lentils (cooked or dry) ≈ 200 g, and 1 ounce = 28.35 g. Because lentil cup weights can vary a little depending on how tightly they’re packed, weighing your portion gives the most accurate result. The numbers used are sourced from USDA FoodData Central.
Worked Examples
Example 1: One cup cooked brown lentils. Enter 1 cup, select Brown / Green cooked. The calculator converts 1 cup to 200 g, then computes (200 ÷ 100) × 116 = 232 kcal. You also get about 18 g protein, 40 g carbs, and 16 g fiber.
Example 2: ¾ cup dry red lentils. Enter 0.75 cup and choose Dry raw lentils. The calculator uses 150 g, giving (150 ÷ 100) × 352 = 528 kcal. This large number is expected because dry lentils are calorie-dense; they’ll roughly triple in weight when cooked.
These examples show why form matters: a cup of cooked lentils is a different serving than a cup of dry lentils, both in weight and nutritional impact.
Tips & Best Practices
- Weigh dry before cooking if you meal-prep. Dry lentils weigh less than cooked, so logging them before soaking or cooking ensures your calories and macros are based on the right column.
- Use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Cup measurements can vary by 10–15% depending on packing. A simple digital scale removes that guesswork.
- Rinse and sort lentils first. This removes debris and reduces cooking foam, but it does not change the edible portion used in this calculator.
- Net carbs are optional for most people. Fiber is beneficial and usually subtracted only for specific low-carb or keto-style tracking.
- Don’t forget added ingredients. This calculator covers lentils alone — oil, butter, salt, broth, and other recipe ingredients add their own calories and macros.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does 1 cup of cooked lentils weigh? About 200 g, though slightly more or less depending on how long they were cooked and how much water remains. If you want maximum precision, weigh the cooked lentils on a food scale.
Why are dry lentils so much higher in calories per 100 g than cooked? Dry lentils contain almost no water. When they absorb water during cooking, their weight increases and the calorie density falls while the total calories for the same dry amount stay roughly the same. In other words, 100 g of dry lentils and the roughly 250–300 g of cooked lentils they produce contain a similar number of calories.
Are red lentils lower in calories than green lentils? Cooked red and yellow split lentils are slightly lower at about 106 kcal per 100 g compared with 116 kcal for brown and green varieties, mainly because they are hulled and have a bit less fiber and slightly different water absorption. The difference is modest, so variety choice matters more for texture than calorie management.
Should I use this calculator for canned lentils? Canned lentils are usually similar to cooked lentils, but sodium is often added. This calculator estimates plain lentils without salt or seasonings, so check the label for sodium and any sauce ingredients.