Protein per dollar · #23 of 58
Lentils: about 15 g protein per $1
At the US average price for September 2026 (adjusted), $1 of lentils buys about 15 g of protein, and 30 g of protein costs about $2.01.
Sources
Protein: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, Lentils, raw (FDC ID 172420): 24.63 g protein and 350 kcal per 100 g.
Price: USDA ERS PP-NAP 2017-18: Lentils, from dried, no added fat $0.4825/100 g x boil yield 2.731 (cooked g per record g); x CPI-U CUUR0000SAF113 371.317/296.739 = 1.2513 (2026-09 vs 2017-18 average). Lentils, from dried, no added fat (cooked; dry lentils absorb about 2.65 times their weight) Series ERS PP-NAP 2017-18 FNDDS 41305000, as of 2026-09.
Estimates. Sales, store brands and waste are not included.
Dishes that use lentils
Sorted by how much goes into each serving.
Questions
How much protein per dollar is lentils?
About 15 g of protein per $1 at the US average price of $1.65 per 100 g (US avg 2017–18, adjusted). That ranks 23 of 58 grocery proteins we track.
How much does 30 g of protein from lentils cost?
About $2.01 at US average prices for September 2026. Your store will differ.