USDA-derived comparison

Butter Beans vs Red Lentils

Red Lentils leads for Folate, Iron and Phosphorus per 100g, while Butter Beans holds its own elsewhere.

Who each is for: Choose red Lentils for folate and iron.

Reviewed 20 July 2026. Generic food data per 100g; brands and preparation vary.

Butter Beans

Typical serving: half a can (130g)

11/100

No clear per-100g leads, which is a result in itself.

Full Butter Beans page

Red Lentils

Typical serving: a 60g dry portion (60g)

25/100

More folateMore ironMore phosphorusMore vitamin B1
Full Red Lentils page

Side by side, per 100g

The stronger number is highlighted, honestly: higher wins for aim-for nutrients, lower wins for stay-under ones like saturated fat and sodium.

NutrientButter BeansRed Lentils
Calories115 kcal358 kcal
Protein8 g24 g
Carbs21 g63 g
Fat0 g2 g
Fiber7 g11 g
Sat fat0 g0 g
Sodium2 mg7 mg
Potassium508 mg668 mg
Calcium17 mg48 mg
Iron2.4 mg7.4 mg
Magnesium43 mg59 mg
Zinc1 mg3.6 mg
Vitamin C0 mg2 mg
Vitamin D0 µg0 µg
Vitamin B120 µg0 µg
Folate83 µg204 µg

Servings differ: half a can of butter beans is about 130g, a 60g dry portion of red lentils about 60g. Scale accordingly before deciding anything on the 100g basis alone.

Stop comparing foods one at a time

The better question is what your whole day looks like. Log meals in plain words and Nutrigate shows your nutrition score across 46 nutrients, so single foods stop carrying moral weight.

Try Nutrigate