What does a score of 90 mean?

90 out of 100 places lentils in the "excellent" band. Among the lower-risk choices for most people with gout, and often carries protective nutrients. Scores rank foods against each other on average across a population. They are not a personal risk level.

What portion is the score based on?

Nutrition figures are given per 100 g, and the scoring applies a serving-size adjustment based on this food's typical portion: 1 cup (185 g). Eating substantially more or less than that shifts the real-world effect accordingly.

How confident is this score?

Based on the measured median for this food category. Because the purine figure is estimated rather than directly measured, read this score as approximate.

Can I eat lentils if I have gout?

That is a question for you and your clinician. This page ranks foods on published population-average evidence; it does not account for your urate level, kidney function, medications or overall eating pattern.

How does this compare with other lentils entries?

The database holds 4 lentils variants and this one is 3rd of 4, scoring 90. They range from 87 (lentils, from canned) up to 96 (lentils, from dried, no added fat), so preparation matters more here than the ingredient does — a 9-point spread within the same food.

Plant

Lentils

USDA description: Lentils, NFS

How lentils scores for gout, what moved that score, and the nutrition and portions behind it.

Food Index score

LentilsExcellent

0100

Based on a well-supported purine estimate

What moved this score
Starting score	100
Purine Load	-5.3
Fiber	+5
Sodium	-4.6
Nutrient Gaps	-4
Saturated Fat	-2.6
Calorie Density	-2.5
3 smaller factors	+3.7
Final score	90

Flare risk (acute)95

Long-term (chronic)95

Lentils scores 90 out of 100 and sits in the excellent band. Among the lower-risk choices for most people with gout, and often carries protective nutrients.

Penalties took 19 points off a starting score of 100, and protective factors added 8.7 back. Every factor is listed in full below.

Scores run 0–100, where higher means more gout-friendly on average. They reflect relative ranking across foods, not a personal risk level. The same food can suit one person and not another, so use the score as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician.

Compare with another foodMore beans, peas, legumes How scoring works

The underlying data

Nutrition and portions

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per 100 g

Typical serving185 g

Calories166

Total Fat6.9 g
Saturated Fat0.92 g
Sodium218 mg
Dietary Fiber7.3 g
Total Sugars1.7 g
Protein8.4 g

Calcium18 mg
Iron3.1 mg
Magnesium33 mg
Vitamin C1.3 mg
Folate160 ug

Water64.7 g
Alcohol0 g
Omega-3 EPA0 g
Omega-3 DHA0 g

Common portions

1 cuptypical185 g
Quantity not specified92 g

Where the purine figure comes from

No direct purine measurement has been published for this food, so the score uses the measured median for its category (beans, peas, legumes).

We rate this a good confidence estimate.

How purines affect the score →

Nutrition values from the USDA FoodData Central database.

Scoring rationale

Every factor, in full

Each row shows the points a factor moved, what drove it, and the studies behind its weight.

PointsFactorAffects

-5.3
Purine LoadFlare risk
55 mg of purines per 100 g, weighted 0.45x as a plant source and 1.9x for the typical portion: 46 mg effective.
Evidence: Choi HK 2004, N Engl J Med · Kaneko K 2014, Biol Pharm Bull · Zhang Y 2012, Ann Rheum Dis
Flare risk
+5
FiberLong-term
7.3 g of dietary fiber per 100 g, scaled 1.9x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol
Long-term
-4.6
SodiumLong-term
218 mg of sodium per 100 g, scaled 1.9x for the typical portion.
Evidence: FitzGerald JD 2020, Arthritis Care Res
Long-term
-4
Nutrient GapsLong-term
Provides meaningful amounts of only 3 of the 5 protective nutrient groups (vitamin C, fiber, omega-3, magnesium and folate).
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Zhang M 2019, Arthritis Rheumatol
Long-term
-2.6
Saturated FatLong-term
0.92 g of saturated fat per 100 g, scaled 1.9x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Juraschek SP 2016, Arthritis Rheumatol · Yokose C 2021, Curr Opin Rheumatol
Long-term
-2.5
Calorie DensityLong-term
166 kcal per 100 g, above the 80 kcal energy-density threshold.
Evidence: Aune D 2014, Eur J Nutr
Long-term
+2
FolateLong-term
160 µg of folate per 100 g, scaled 1.9x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Lyu LC 2017, Am J Clin Nutr
Long-term
+1.5
MagnesiumLong-term
33 mg of magnesium per 100 g, scaled 1.9x for the typical portion.
Evidence: Li X 2015, BMJ
Long-term
+0.2
Vitamin CLong-term
1.3 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, scaled 1.9x for the typical portion. Vitamin C helps the kidneys excrete urate.
Evidence: Choi HK 2009, Arch Intern Med · Juraschek SP 2011, Arthritis Care Res
Long-term

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