Head-to-head comparison

Lentils (cooked) vs Kidney Beans (cooked): Which Has More Protein?

Both Lentils (cooked) and Kidney Beans (cooked) are common enough protein choices that they get compared directly all the time — here's what the actual numbers say.

Lentils (cooked)

9.0gprotein / 100g

116 cal · 0.4g fat · $ · Quality 0.63

Kidney Beans (cooked)

8.7gprotein / 100g

127 cal · 0.5g fat · $ · Quality 0.6

Lentils (cooked) edges out Kidney Beans (cooked) by less than half a gram of protein per 100g (9.0g vs 8.7g) — statistically a wash for practical meal planning.

Protein quality is essentially matched between the two — both land in a similar tier for amino acid completeness.

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 Kidney Beans (cooked) works well in most contexts — let cost, prep time, and personal preference decide rather than the macros.

Full nutrition comparison

Per 100gLentils (cooked)Kidney Beans (cooked)
Protein9.0g8.7g
Calories116127
Fat0.4g0.5g
Carbs20.1g22.8g
Fiber7.9g6.4g
Quality score0.630.6
Relative cost$$
Prep time25 min90 min

Frequently asked

Which has more protein, lentils (cooked) or kidney beans (cooked)?

Lentils (cooked) has 9.0g of protein per 100g compared to Kidney Beans (cooked)'s 8.7g.

Which is lower in calories?

Lentils (cooked) is lower in calories per 100g, at 116 vs the other's 127.