Head-to-head comparison

Lentils (cooked) vs Chickpeas (cooked): Which Has More Protein?

On paper, Lentils (cooked) and Chickpeas (cooked) solve a similar problem — protein intake — but they get there differently enough to be worth a direct look.

Lentils (cooked)

9.0gprotein / 100g

116 cal · 0.4g fat · $ · Quality 0.63

Chickpeas (cooked)

8.9gprotein / 100g

164 cal · 2.6g fat · $ · Quality 0.65

Gram for gram, Lentils (cooked) and Chickpeas (cooked) are close: 9.0g vs 8.9g of protein per 100g — a difference small enough that it shouldn't be the deciding factor.

Neither has a meaningful edge on protein quality; they're close enough on amino acid profile that it isn't a differentiator here.

Cost is roughly comparable between the two ($), so budget isn't the deciding factor here.

Verdict

These two are closer than the comparison headline suggests. Either Lentils (cooked) or Chickpeas (cooked) works well in most contexts — let cost, prep time, and personal preference decide rather than the macros.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gLentils (cooked)Chickpeas (cooked)
Protein9.0g8.9g
Calories116164
Fat0.4g2.6g
Carbs20.1g27.4g
Fiber7.9g7.6g
Quality score0.630.65
Relative cost$$
Prep time25 min90 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, lentils (cooked) or chickpeas (cooked)?

Lentils (cooked) has 9.0g of protein per 100g compared to Chickpeas (cooked)'s 8.9g.

Which is lower in calories?

Lentils (cooked) is lower in calories per 100g, at 116 vs the other's 164.