Lentils (cooked)
9.0gprotein / 100g116 cal · 0.4g fat · $ · Quality 0.63
Amaranth (cooked)
4.7gprotein / 100g102 cal · 1.6g fat · $$$ · Quality 0.75
There's a meaningful protein-density gap here: Lentils (cooked) runs 9.0g per 100g against Amaranth (cooked)'s 4.7g, roughly 4.3g more per equal weight.
Quality flips the other way, though: Amaranth (cooked) has the stronger amino acid profile (lit_estimate, near-complete pseudo-grain, higher lysine than most grains) versus Lentils (cooked)'s incomplete on its own — low in methionine, pairs well with grains.
Budget-wise, Lentils (cooked) runs meaningfully cheaper per typical serving ($) than Amaranth (cooked) ($$$).
Lentils (cooked)'s typical serving also delivers more leucine (650mg vs Amaranth (cooked)'s 380mg) — relevant if the goal is maximizing the muscle-protein-synthesis trigger per meal, not just total grams.
With protein content this close, cost is the more useful tiebreaker: Lentils (cooked) delivers a similar protein profile to Amaranth (cooked) at a noticeably lower price per serving.
Full nutrition comparison
| Per 100g | Lentils (cooked) | Amaranth (cooked) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9.0g | 4.7g |
| Calories | 116 | 102 |
| Fat | 0.4g | 1.6g |
| Carbs | 20.1g | 18.7g |
| Fiber | 7.9g | 2.1g |
| Quality score | 0.63 | 0.75 |
| Relative cost | $ | $$$ |
| Prep time | 25 min | 20 min |
Frequently asked
Which has more protein, lentils (cooked) or amaranth (cooked)?
Lentils (cooked) has 9.0g of protein per 100g compared to Amaranth (cooked)'s 4.7g.
Which is lower in calories?
Amaranth (cooked) is lower in calories per 100g, at 102 vs the other's 116.