Lentils, chickpeas, beans, soy and soy foods: nutrition, soaking, cooking, storage and practical uses.
Cooked chickpeas are far less concentrated than dry chickpeas because they absorb water. Per 100 g cooked, they provide about 164 calories, 8.9 g protein, and 7.6 g fiber. A 200 g portion delivers close to 18 g protein and 15 g fiber.
Black, kidney, pinto, and white beans are not nutritionally identical, but many cooked varieties cluster around 8–10 g protein and 6–9 g fiber per 100 g, with roughly 120–140 calories.
Soy and pea isolates can provide similar grams of protein per scoop. Soy tends to have a somewhat stronger indispensable amino-acid profile, while modern pea isolates can still be highly digestible and high quality.
Cooked green peas provide about 84 calories, 5.4 g protein, and 5.5 g fiber per 100 g. They have more protein and starch than many vegetables but less protein than mature lentils or soybeans.
Cooked lentils provide about 116 calories, 9 g protein, 7.9 g fiber, and 3.3 mg iron per 100 g. A cooked cup provides nearly 18 g protein and 16 g fiber. Dry values are much higher per 100 g because the lentils have not absorbed water yet.
Yes. For most people, soy foods such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk can be part of a daily diet. Current human evidence does not show that normal soy-food intake increases breast cancer risk. Concentrated isoflavone supplements are a separate category and should not be treated as nutritionally equivalent to a serving of tofu.
Yes. For most people, beans, lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes can be eaten every day as part of a varied diet. One cup of cooked lentils provides about 18 g protein and 16 g fiber. If you increase legume intake quickly, the sudden rise in fiber and fermentable carbohydrates can cause gas or bloating at first.
Cooked mature soybeans are among the highest-protein legumes, with about 18 g protein, 9 g fat, 6 g fiber, and 172 calories per 100 g. Dry soybeans exceed 35 g protein per 100 g, but that number is not directly comparable because cooking adds water and increases weight.
Firm tofu often provides roughly 12–17 g protein per 100 g, 7–10 g fat, and 120–160 calories, although water content and brand make a large difference. A 5.3 oz (150 g) serving can provide about 18–26 g protein. Calcium varies substantially depending on whether calcium salts were used as the coagulant.
Tempeh is cooked soybeans fermented and bound into a firm cake. It usually provides about 20 g protein, 11 g fat, and 190–200 calories per 100 g. Its high protein concentration comes mainly from retaining the whole soybean and containing less water than many tofu products; fermentation changes the food but does not magically create the protein.
Edamame is soybean harvested while immature. Cooked and shelled, it provides about 12 g protein, 5 g fiber, 5 g fat, and 121 calories per 100 g. A 150 g serving provides roughly 18 g protein and 8 g fiber, an unusually useful combination in one food.
Cooked lentils, chickpeas and beans are more alike than their reputations suggest: all provide roughly 8–9 grams of protein per 100 grams. Chickpeas are more calorie-dense, lentils tend to edge higher in iron, and bean values vary by type.