Lentils are tiny little beans that make a great addition to tasty dishes like chili, soups, salads, and so much more. This little protein is a favorite of vegetarians, so let’s talk about how to find them on your next trip to the grocery store.
Where are lentils in the grocery store? Lentils can be found near the rice or soup section of the grocery store. You will also sometimes find lentils in the ethnic food aisle. Lentils are sold in both cans or dry in bags, depending on the type you need.
Where to buy lentils near me
When looking for lentils, you can usually find them in these popular grocery stores:
- Stop and Shop
- Giant
- Whole Foods
- Trader Joes
- King Soopers
- Safeway
- Walmart
Lentils are typically not a rare ingredient to find at a grocery store. If you need lentils, check your local grocer, bodega, or convenience store, and you get lucky there too!
How to buy lentils online
Not a fan of trips to the grocery store? Us either. So here are the top five places you can find lentils online so you can have them delivered to your doorstep.
Grocery delivery has become exceedingly popular nowadays, so there are plenty of options for online grocery orders. But these are the top five places to get lentils online:
1. Amazon
Amazon is likely the best place to order lentils online. They have a massive selection of bulk and normally packaged foods that can be delivered right to your door. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you qualify for free delivery on Amazon Fresh orders of a particular size. You can order most groceries, including lentils, on Amazon’s grocery delivery service.
2. Whole Foods
Whole Foods also offers grocery delivery, whether directly from their website or Amazon’s website. Whole Foods grocery delivery from Amazon is not the same as ordering Amazon Fresh and is also not the same as ordering lentils from the standard Amazon. The food does come from Whole Foods and is packaged with care. Whole Foods is likely the best online option if you need organic lentils or something specific, as they often have many options most groceries stores don’t carry.
3. Walmart
Many people don’t know, but Walmart offers convenient grocery delivery. You may go there for cleaning supplies or cheap underwear, but they have an impressive food section in many of their stores. To add to the convenience, you can order these food items online, and Walmart will have them delivered to your home if you meet the minimum order amount.
4. Instacart
Instacart is a rapidly growing online delivery service that shops for people at the grocery store and brings it right to their door. Instacart is a great way to get standard groceries delivered, just like lentils! However, if the grocery store the shopper goes to is out of lentils, then you’re out of luck.
5. GoPuff
Ordering lentils on GoPuff is less likely to be possible than the retailers above but can happen. GoPuff changes what items they have available based on your location, so if you need lentils delivered and want them delivered fast, check on GoPuff before anywhere else.
You’ll be surprised by some of the pantry staples and common items they’ll bring to you.
What can i get in place of lentils?
Rather than panic and give up on dinner, take a look in your cupboard, fridge, or freezer to see if you have any of these three lentil substitutes hanging around.
1. Beans (Garbanzo)
Beans may seem like an obvious answer, but that’s because there are so many kinds of beans, and they are fairly interchangeable! We know this is a broad statement, so to help, we will say the best bean substitute for lentils, in our opinion, is chickpeas.
Chickpeas are also called Garbanzo beans, so don’t be fooled by the two different names. We promise they’re the same. Chickpeas look completely different from lentils. They’re much larger and fatter and are a light tan color as opposed to the typically dark lentils. The reason they are our number one substitute is that the texture and taste are super similar.
However, if you have black beans, fava beans, lima beans, or even edamame, you can likely use these in place of lentils. Use beans instead of lentils in chilis, salads, and practically any lentil recipe.
2. Peas
Peas are an excellent substitute for lentils because they are usually much easier to find, and more people are likely to have them on hand. We recommend keeping canned or frozen peas around for situations like this. Plus, peas are so yummy and sweet!
You can use split, yellow, or green peas as a substitute. The textures are similar, but split peas are the closest to the flavor of lentils. If you were planning to make a lentil-based dish, where the bean is the star of the show, peas aren’t the ideal substitute because they will change the meal considerably.
3. Soy
Soy isn’t the optimal substitute for lentils but can work for specific recipes if you find yourself in a tricky situation. Many people use lentils to create veggie burgers or other plant-based meat substitutes. These recipes are where soy can step in pretty well. It has the correct amino acids, so you can reach a similar consistency to lentils.
As an added benefit, soy is a complete protein and is high in fiber. So this substitute works well for people using lentils for their health benefits. The flavor will also not be too far off, but there will be a lack of that juicy legume flavor people are familiar with.
