Lentils and chickpeas: measured calories lower than labels suggest
What it found
In 18 healthy adults, lentils and chickpeas provided fewer usable calories than standard calculations predict.
The gap was about 16% for lentils and 10% for chickpeas.
What they found
Studies in people
Lentil calories measured
The measured metabolizable energy of lentils was 119 kcal per 98.5 g serving. This was 16.0% lower than Atwater General Factors and 13.6% lower than Atwater Specific Factors.
Chickpea calories measured
The measured metabolizable energy of chickpeas was 123 kcal per 85.5 g serving. This was 10.4% lower than Atwater General Factors and 8.0% lower than Atwater Specific Factors.
Digestibility changes
When people ate lentils or chickpeas, their stool contained more energy, nitrogen, and carbohydrate. Dry matter, energy, and carbohydrate digestibility were lower than on the base diet.
Fiber and fat digestion
Fat and total dietary fiber excretion did not differ among the three diets. Nitrogen balance also did not differ.
Weight maintenance
Body weight stayed the same at the end of each treatment period, confirming volunteers were in weight maintenance. There were no differences in daily bowel movements.
Individual variation
For three volunteers, the measured energy value for chickpeas was slightly higher than the calculated value. For lentils, two volunteers had measured values similar to calculated, but all others were lower.
What the authors conclude
“Using Atwater Factors to calculate the metabolizable energy value of chickpeas and lentils overestimates their available calories.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the metabolizable energy in lentils and chickpeas is significantly lower than the values predicted by Atwater calculations.
- They say these results provide a measurement of metabolizable energy of these pulses as part of a mixed diet consumed by healthy adults.
- They advise that data on the energy value of these pulse crops is important for accurate food labeling and dietary recommendations geared toward weight management.
How it was done
Food labels and diet advice rely on calorie values calculated with Atwater factors, but these may overestimate energy from high-fiber foods. The authors wanted to measure the actual energy people get from lentils and chickpeas.
Eighteen healthy adults ate a base diet, the base diet with chickpeas, and the base diet with lentils in a randomized crossover trial. Each diet lasted 17 days, with 7 days of urine and stool collection after 10 days of adaptation.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial measured energy value in a small group of healthy adults, so results may not apply to everyone.
- The study did not account for energy lost through gut fermentation, which would lower the measured energy even further.
- It cannot show whether eating lentils or chickpeas affects body weight over the long term.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by American Pulse Association; U.S. Department of Agriculture (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
- Authors work at
- Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USA
The paper
- Title
- Metabolizable Energy Value of Chickpeas and Lentils in the Human Diet: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Novotny JA, Henderson T, Baer DJ (2025). Metabolizable Energy Value of Chickpeas and Lentils in the Human Diet: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu17172725Free full textPubMed 40944115DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error