Lentil

391 foods contain this ingredient

Vegetable Legumes allergen group

This is an alphabetical list, not a ranking. Sign in free to rank foods for your pet in the Food Finder.

About Lentil

Lentils are a legume (pulse) crop milled into flour, fiber, or protein fractions and formulated into grain-free dog and cat foods.

Lentils are a plant-based source of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and micronutrients (notably folate and iron) commonly used in pet foods to add bulk, promote satiety and help moderate post-meal blood sugar. They can be a useful ingredient for dogs when properly processed and balanced with animal-derived amino acids, but lentil protein is less digestible and incomplete for obligate carnivores like cats; high legume inclusion can also increase gas or digestive upset and has been discussed in the context of diet-associated heart concerns in dogs, so lentils should be used in nutritionally complete, vetted formulations.

Related ingredients

Green Lentil Lentil Fiber Lentil Flour Red Lentil

Derived from: Lens culinaris seed
Primary role: plant protein and fiber source, carbohydrate replacement in grain-free formulas

Why it's used

Lentils became a common base ingredient in grain-free formulas as a starch and fiber source that also contributes plant protein, and their amino acid profile is comparatively high in lysine. Research on pulse ingredients shows several amino acids in lentils digest well in dogs, though methionine digestibility runs lower than for animal-derived proteins.

Common concerns

FDA dilated cardiomyopathy inquiry From 2018 through 2022 the FDA compiled reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs eating grain-free diets high in peas, lentils, or other pulses, and it described the possible association as a complex issue involving multiple factors rather than establishing a single cause.
Sulfur amino acid digestibility Published digestibility studies found lentils and other pulses can be comparatively low in digestible methionine, a nutrient tied to taurine status in dogs, which is a formulation variable rather than a reason to avoid lentils outright.
Incomplete protein for cats As obligate carnivores, cats need lentil protein paired with supplemental essential amino acids and taurine, since plant proteins alone do not match a cat's essential nutrient requirements.

Also relevant

The FDA has not named a required or banned inclusion level for lentils and, as of its most recent update, closed public reporting on the DCM investigation pending new scientific evidence.

2 sources cited