Sprouts and lentils both contain significant nutritional value. Lentils do contain considerably more calories than sprouts; however lentils also contain more than ten times the fiber content of sprouts. Both foods offer important minerals and vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K and selenium. While sprouts do offer a small amount of protein, lentils provide more than 17 g of protein per 1 cup serving.
Calories
Sprouts and lentils differ significantly in caloric value. Sprouts come in numerous varieties -- some of the most common types include mung bean and soybean sprouts. Mung bean sprouts are very low in calories -- only 31 calories per 1 cup serving -- while soybean sprouts contain a little more at 86 calories per 1 cup serving. Lentils also come in a number of different types; the most common are brown lentils. One cup of cooked brown lentils offers 230 calories.
Protein
Lentils provide considerably more protein per serving than sprouts. Mung bean sprouts provide 2.5 g of protein per 1 cup serving, while soybean sprouts offer 9 g of protein per 1 cup serving. Cooked brown lentils meanwhile offer nearly 18 g of protein per 1 cup serving. Brown lentils therefore constitute an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.
Fiber
Sprouts as a rule are fairly low in dietary fiber, while lentils are a rich source of fiber. Mung bean sprouts only provide 1.9 g of fiber per 1 cup serving, while soybean sprouts offer 7 g of fiber per 1 cup serving. Cooked brown lentils on the other hand provide 15.6 g of dietary fiber per 1 cup serving, and as such offer a much better source of fiber than sprouts.
Vitamins and Minerals
Both sprouts and lentils are nutritionally dense when it comes to important vitamins and minerals; however brown lentils offer more. Mung bean sprouts provide 13.7 mg of vitamin C per 1 cup serving, while soybean sprouts provide 11 g of vitamin C per 1 cup serving. Mung bean sprouts offer 14 mg of calcium, 22 mg of magnesium, 63 mcg of folate and 34.3 mcg of vitamin K, while soybean sprouts offer 120 mcg of folate per 1 cup serving. One cup of brown lentils provides 38 mg of calcium, 71 mg of magnesium and 358 mcg of folate.
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