Brown Rice vs. Alfalfa Sprouts
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice and Alfalfa Sprouts
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
brown rice
versus
alfalfa sprouts
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and alfalfa sprouts:
- Alfalfa sprout has signficantly less carbohydrates than brown rice.
- Alfalfa sprout has signficantly more calcium than brown rice.
- Brown rice has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, alfalfa sprout contains more folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Brown rice is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 81% less calories than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to alfalfa sprouts per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for alfalfa sprouts, 53:29:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Rice | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 53% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 29% |
| Fat | 7% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Alfalfa sprout has signficantly less carbohydrates than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.24g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and brown rice are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin C than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin A than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprout has 151 times more Vitamin K than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Brown rice has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, alfalfa sprout contains more folate. Both brown rice and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Brown Rice | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.178 MG | 0.076 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.069 MG | 0.126 MG |
| Niacin | 2.561 MG | 0.481 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.563 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.034 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 36 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprout has signficantly more calcium than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.
iron
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of iron - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.
potassium
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of potassium - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.175 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.175 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both brown rice and alfalfa sprouts contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Brown Rice | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.355 G | 0.234 G |
| Total | 0.359 G | 0.234 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .
Cooked Brown Rice g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does alfalfa sprouts or brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?Brown rice is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 80% less calories than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or brown rice better for protein?
Alfalfa sprouts and brown rice contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than brown rice - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.