LunchMexican · 15 min · 2 servingsEnsalada de lentejas con pico de gallo y queso fresco

Lentil salad with pico de gallo and queso fresco

Name: Lentil salad with pico de gallo and queso fresco
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 320 g (11 oz) canned cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (about 1 2/3 cups); 160 g (5.5 oz) diced tomato (1 large, about 1 cup); 30 g (1 oz) finely chopped red onion (about 3 tablespoons); 80 g (3 oz) crumbled queso fresco (about 2/3 cup); 60 g (2 oz) diced avocado (about 1/3 cup); Seeded serrano chile (optional); Chopped cilantro; Juice of 1 lime and salt to taste

Each serving has 374 kcal, 23.1 g of protein, and 15.9 g of fiber, or 6.2 g of protein per 100 kcal. Ready in 15 minutes; makes 2 servings.

High in protein
High in fiber
May cause bloating

Per serving

374 kcalCalories
23.1 gProtein
15.9 gFiber

Calculated ingredient by ingredient from USDA FoodData Central. 6.2 g of protein per 100 kcal.

Prepared by: Alex Gonzalez
Published: September 24, 2026
Sources: 6 primary

No clinical review. No advertising from drug companies and no affiliate links.How we work

Ingredients

2 servings

320 g11 ozcanned cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (about 1 2/3 cups)
160 g5.5 ozdiced tomato (1 large, about 1 cup)
30 g1 ozfinely chopped red onion (about 3 tablespoons)
80 g3 ozcrumbled queso fresco (about 2/3 cup)
60 g2 ozdiced avocado (about 1/3 cup)

Plus, with no meaningful nutrition (not counted in the table):

Seeded serrano chile (optional)
Chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime and salt to taste

Weights are for each food as described on its page: raw, cooked, or drained, as noted. Grams are the reference used for the math; ounces and cups are rounded US equivalents.

Directions

Rinse the lentils in a colander under running water and let them drain well.
Chop the tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile, if using, to make the pico de gallo.
Toss the pico de gallo with the lime juice and a pinch of salt and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Add the lentils and stir so they pick up the dressing.
Divide between two plates and top with the crumbled queso fresco and the avocado.

Why it is filling

Canned lentils come cooked and soft, so the dish comes together without heat in about 15 minutes. The queso fresco adds protein to what the lentils already bring, and the pico de gallo adds freshness and acidity, which make a cold plate appealing when hot food does not. Legumes can cause gas, so on a GLP-1 medication it makes sense to start with half a serving if they do not agree with you.

In numbers, each serving has 23.1 g of protein and 15.9 g of fiber, with an energy density of 115 kcal per 100 g of the dish. In the satiety index by Holt and colleagues (1995), the foods that were most filling per calorie were those with more protein, fiber, and water and less fat.

High in protein: At least 15 g of protein per serving and 6 g per 100 kcal.
High in fiber: At least 5 g of fiber per serving, a fifth of EFSA’s 25 g daily reference.
May cause bloating: It has at least 30 g per serving of beans, cruciferous vegetables, or other ingredients that give some people gas.

If your appetite is small

If legumes make you bloated, rinse them very well and start with half a serving and extra tomato.
It keeps for 2 days in the fridge; add the avocado just before serving.

Nutrition facts

Values per serving and for the whole recipe (2 servings), calculated from the ingredients. Protein per 100 kcal: 6.2 g.
Nutrient	Per serving	Whole recipe
Calories	374 kcal	747 kcal
Protein	23.1 g	46.3 g
Carbohydrates	40.4 g	80.8 g
Fiber	15.9 g	31.7 g
Fat	14.7 g	29.4 g
Approximate weight	325 g (11 oz)	650 g (23 oz)

How it is calculated

Each ingredient contributes its per-100 g values from the site’s food database, multiplied by the amount in the recipe. Seasonings, water, and lemon or lime juice are not counted. It is an approximation: the actual size of the foods and how you cook them shift the result a little.

What each ingredient contributes to the whole recipe.
Ingredient	Amount	Calories	Protein	Fiber
Cooked lentils	320 g	371 kcal	28.9 g	25.3 g
Tomato	160 g	29 kcal	1.4 g	1.9 g
Onion	30 g	12 kcal	0.3 g	0.5 g
Queso fresco	80 g	239 kcal	14.5 g	0 g
Avocado	60 g	96 kcal	1.2 g	4 g

To plan your meals

Daily protein calculator: an indicative protein range per day and per meal, to see how much of it this recipe covers.
Weekly menu for small appetites: seven days of small portions with the protein spread across meals, ready to print.

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See all recipes

Sources

Nutrition values for each ingredient (USDA FoodData Central) and the satiety reference, with the access date.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt (FDC ID 172421).accessed September 23, 2026.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average (FDC ID 170457).accessed September 23, 2026.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Onions, raw (FDC ID 170000).accessed September 23, 2026.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, fresh, queso fresco (FDC ID 172223).accessed September 23, 2026.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.USDA FoodData Central: Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties (FDC ID 171705).accessed September 23, 2026.
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (PubMed).Holt SH, Miller JC, Petocz P, Farmakalidis E. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995;49(9):675-90.accessed September 23, 2026.