This hearty salad features earthy green lentils tossed with roasted vegetables and a bright herb dressing. It is a traditional Mediterranean-style dish that is served warm as a satisfying main course or a substantial side.
Vegan Vegetarian Pescetarian Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Nut-Free Egg-Free Soy-Free
Nutrient score: Excellent
Goodness for its calories, 25 to 100.
How is this worked out?
The nutrient score shows how much goodness a recipe gives for its calories, from 25 to 100. Every recipe gets at least 25. It is the same for everyone.
It adds up how much of 11 nutrients people need the recipe gives for its calories: protein, fibre, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Each counts up to a full day’s worth for the calories. It then takes points off for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium above a fair share for the calories.
75 and over: Excellent. 60 to 74: Very good. 45 to 59: Good. 35 to 44: Fair. 25 to 34: Low.
The formula (from the recipe’s values per 100 g):
- Share of the day: the recipe’s kcal per 100 g ÷ 2,000 (under 40 kcal per 100 g, such as a herb or tea, counts as 40 kcal).
- 11 nutrients to encourage: protein (50 g), fibre (28 g), vitamin A (900 mcg), vitamin C (90 mg), vitamin E (15 mg), calcium (1,300 mg), iron (18 mg), potassium (4,700 mg), magnesium (420 mg), folate (400 mcg) and zinc (11 mg). For each: amount ÷ (Daily Value × share), at most 1. Add them up.
- 3 nutrients to limit: saturated fat (20 g), added sugar (50 g) and sodium (2,300 mg). For each: amount ÷ (limit × share) − 1, only when above 0 and at most 3. Add them up.
- Result = 100 × (step 2 − 2 × step 3) ÷ 11, kept between 0 and 100.
- Score = 25 + 0.75 × result, rounded. The scale runs from 25 to 100 instead of 0 to 100: every edible recipe gets at least 25, and the order doesn’t change.
It follows the Nutrient Rich Foods index (NRF 9.3) with the U.S. FDA Daily Values for a 2,000 kcal day. Different from the published index: folate and zinc are added (11 nutrients instead of 9), the nutrients to limit count double and each at most three times its share, the 40 kcal floor, and the 25 to 100 scale. When some of the values it needs are unknown, the score is shown as “about”.
A recipe’s values are worked out from its ingredients, whose values are estimates.
Sources: Drewnowski A. Defining nutrient density: development and validation of the Nutrient Rich Foods index. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(4):421S-426S; U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
A low score doesn’t make a recipe bad: treats and festive dishes have their place. Use the score to compare similar recipes. In the GapPlate app you also see how much of the gaps in your day a serving fills.
Units:
Ingredients
- 1 cup Green lentils (189 g)
- 3 cups Water (710 g)
- 1 piece Red bell pepper (150 g)
- 1 piece Zucchini (200 g)
- 3 tbsp Olive oil (41 g)
- 0.5 piece Red onion (85 g)
- 2 cloves Garlic (10 g)
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice (30 g)
- 1 tsp Dried oregano (1.2 g)
- 0.5 cup Parsley (30 g)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Ingredients in total: 1.45 kg
- Weight lost in cooking: 646 g (mostly water boiling off)
- Net weight (cooked): 800 g · 4 servings of about 200 g
Method
- Rinse the lentils under cold water and place them in a pot with 3 cups of water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not mushy, then drain well.
- While the lentils cook, dice the red bell pepper and zucchini into small cubes and slice the onion thinly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the bell pepper and zucchini until they are tender and slightly charred, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and sliced onion to the skillet, cooking for another 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the onion is softened.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt, and pepper to create a dressing.
- Add the warm cooked lentils and the sautéed vegetables into the bowl with the dressing and toss gently to combine.
- Fold in the fresh chopped parsley just before serving and serve the salad warm.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 295 kcal | 147 kcal |
| Protein | 13.9 g | 6.93 g |
| Water | 139 mL | 69.4 mL |
| Sodium | 14 mg | 6.99 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 36.2 g | 18.1 g |
| Total Fat | 11.1 g | 5.55 g |
| Sugar | 4.96 g | 2.48 g |
61 more nutrients
Carbohydrates
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugar | 0 g | 0 g |
Minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 4.18 mg | 2.09 mg |
| Calcium | 64.9 mg | 32.4 mg |
| Magnesium | 58.3 mg | 29.1 mg |
| Potassium | 626 mg | 313 mg |
| Iodine | 0.037 mcg | 0.018 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 258 mg | 129 mg |
| Zinc | 2.68 mg | 1.34 mg |
| Chloride | 10.5 mg | 5.27 mg |
| Selenium | 4.58 mcg | 2.29 mcg |
| Copper | 0.56 mg | 0.28 mg |
| Fluoride | 0.006 mg | 0.003 mg |
| Manganese | 1.06 mg | 0.53 mg |
| Molybdenum | 86.4 mcg | 43.2 mcg |
| Chromium | 0.4 mcg | 0.2 mcg |
Fats
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.59 g | 0.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7.54 g | 3.77 g |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.15 g | 0.073 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1.31 g | 0.66 g |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 1.17 g | 0.58 g |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) | 0.13 g | 0.067 g |
| Arachidonic Acid | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Medium-Chain Triglycerides | 0 g | 0 g |
| Omega-9 Fatty Acids | 7.53 g | 3.77 g |
Fibre
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 16.5 g | 8.27 g |
| Soluble Fiber | 1.66 g | 0.83 g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 14.5 g | 7.26 g |
Vitamins
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 73.8 mg | 36.9 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 273 mcg | 136 mcg |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.99 mg | 0.99 mg |
| Vitamin A | 97.3 mcg RAE | 48.7 mcg RAE |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.48 mg | 0.24 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.52 mg | 0.26 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 0.098 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 1.31 mg | 0.65 mg |
| Vitamin E | 2.42 mg | 1.21 mg |
| Vitamin K | 136 mcg | 67.9 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | 6.21 mcg | 3.11 mcg |
| Beta-Carotene | 1,088 mcg | 544 mcg |
Others
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 55.8 mg | 27.9 mg |
| Leucine | 973 mg | 487 mg |
| Lysine | 992 mg | 496 mg |
| Polyphenols | 224 mg | 112 mg |
| Methionine | 149 mg | 74.4 mg |
| Oxalates | 170 mg | 84.9 mg |
| Threonine | 587 mg | 294 mg |
| Tryptophan | 159 mg | 79.6 mg |
| Valine | 697 mg | 348 mg |
| Flavonoids | 95.9 mg | 48 mg |
| Histidine | 387 mg | 193 mg |
| Lutein / Zeaxanthin | 0.91 mg | 0.46 mg |
| Lycopene | 0.18 mg | 0.09 mg |
| Phenylalanine | 785 mg | 392 mg |
| Purines | 72.2 mg | 36.1 mg |
Proteins
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine | 612 mg | 306 mg |
Worked out from the ingredients with the GapPlate food library, per 100 g of the cooked dish. Estimates, not medical advice.
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