Lentils are one of the pulses that are easiest to prepare, since they do not require soaking before cooking. You can eat these and other beans instead of meat to help meet your daily protein requirement. Lentils are more nutrient-dense than beef, providing vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber while containing less fat and fewer calories.

Macronutrients

A 1/2-cup serving of cooked lentils, which is about 100 grams, contains 116 calories, 9 grams of protein, 0.4 gram of fat and 20 grams of carbohydrate, including 8 grams of fiber. A smaller 3-ounce serving of pan-browned 85-percent-lean ground beef, which is about 85 grams, contains 218 calories, 24 grams of protein and 15 grams of fat, including 5 grams of saturated fat. The lentils provide 32 percent of the daily value for fiber, which helps you feel full and lowers your risk for heart disease, and only trace amounts of fat. The ground beef provides 23 percent of the DV for total fat and 25 percent of the DV for saturated fat and no fiber.

Vitamins

Each 1/2-cup serving of lentils provides you with 181 micrograms of folate, or 45 percent of the DV, compared to 8 micrograms, or 2 percent of the DV, in ground beef. Lentils are also higher in thiamine, providing 11 percent of the DV per serving compared to 2 percent in each serving of ground beef. However, while lentils don't contain any vitamin B-12, each serving of ground beef contains 2.4 micrograms, or 40 percent of the DV, and ground beef also contains more niacin, vitamin B-6 and riboflavin than lentils.

Minerals

Lentils also provide more of some minerals per serving than ground beef. Each 1/2-cup serving provides 3.3 milligrams of iron, or 19 percent of the DV; 36 milligrams of magnesium, or 9 percent of the DV; 369 milligrams of potassium, or 11 percent of the DV. Ground beef provides slightly less of these minerals, with each serving containing 2.5 milligrams of iron, 21 milligrams of magnesium and 346 milligrams of potassium. However, it contains more phosphorus and zinc. Lentils have much less sodium, with only 2 milligrams per serving compared to the 76 milligrams found in each serving of ground beef.

Health Effects