Group · Pulses
Red lentils
Red lentils (lentilles corail in French) are hulled red lentils, often split, which explains their very short cooking time (fifteen minutes) and their tendency to break down into a purée. They are the basis of Indian dal and Middle Eastern soups.
In terms of nutrition facts, cooked, they provide 123 kcal per 100 g, with 10.6 g of protein, 15 g of carbohydrate and above all 8.2 g of fibre. They provide 2.2 mg of iron and 1.3 mg of zinc per 100 g, and only 0.5 g of fat.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 123 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 519 kJ |
| Protein | 10,6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15 g |
| Fat | 0,5 g |
| Fibre | 8,2 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Copper0,29 mg29 %
- Manganese0,39 mg20 %
- Iron2,2 mg16 %
- Phosphorus110 mg16 %
- Zinc1,3 mg13 %
- Vitamin B10,12 mg11 %
- Potassium190 mg10 %
- Magnesium25 mg7 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents23 µg
See the other 9 nutrients
- Vitamin B60,08 mg6 %
- Vitamin B50,24 mg4 %
- Vitamin K12,56 µg3 %
- Total omega-30,08 g3 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,06 g3 %
- Vitamin B30,47 mg3 %
- Calcium21 mg3 %
- Omega-6 LA0,22 g2 %
- Vitamin A1,04 µg0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
10.6 g of protein and 8.2 g of fibre: that is the duo that fills you up. Few foods combine the two at this level for 123 kcal. It is what makes pulses the base of a plant-based diet that really sticks with you.
No soaking, and that is their big advantage. Unlike chickpeas or kidney beans, they cook straight away in fifteen minutes. They are the pulse for evenings when nothing was planned.
Their iron needs vitamin C. Plant iron is poorly absorbed on its own: a squeeze of lemon juice at the table, or tomatoes in the dish, genuinely improve absorption. Tea drunk at the same meal reduces it.
They break down: that is a quality, not a flaw. They thicken a soup without cream or flour, and naturally thicken a curry. For grains that hold their shape, turn to green lentils.
Paired with a cereal, the protein is complete. Dal and basmati rice, lentil soup and bread: this is not a culinary coincidence, it is amino acid complementarity, discovered through experience all over the world.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (may vary by brand, cut and preparation).
