Alfalfa Sprouts vs. Peas
Nutrition comparison of Alfalfa Sprouts and Peas
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
alfalfa sprouts
versus
peas
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in alfalfa sprouts and peas:
- Alfalfa sprout has 27.3 times less sugar than pea.
- Alfalfa sprout has 5.8 times less carbohydrates than pea.
- Alfalfa sprout has 72% less calories than pea.
- Pea has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, alfalfa sprout contains more pantothenic acid.
- Pea is a great source of potassium.
- Pea is an excellent source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Peas (Peas, green, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Alfalfa sprout has 72% less calories than pea - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and pea has 81 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, alfalfa sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to peas per calorie. Alfalfa sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 53:29:18 and for peas, 26:69:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 53% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 29% | 69% |
| Fat | 18% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Alfalfa sprout has 5.8 times less carbohydrates than pea - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and pea has 14.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pea is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 200% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pea has 5.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprout has 27.3 times less sugar than pea - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and pea has 5.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Alfalfa sprouts and peas contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and pea has 5.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and peas are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pea has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Pea is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 388% more Vitamin C than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pea has 40mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Pea has 375% more Vitamin A than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pea has 38ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and peas contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pea has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprouts and peas contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pea has 24.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pea has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, alfalfa sprout contains more pantothenic acid. Both alfalfa sprouts and peas contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.076 MG | 0.266 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.126 MG | 0.132 MG |
| Niacin | 0.481 MG | 2.09 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.563 MG | 0.104 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.034 MG | 0.169 MG |
| Folate | 36 UG | 65 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprouts and peas contain similar amounts of calcium - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and pea has 25mg of calcium.
iron
Pea has 53% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and pea has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Pea is a great source of potassium and it has 209% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and pea has 244mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids,
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 87 UG | 449 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 6 UG | 21 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 2477 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pea per 100 grams.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.175 G | 0.035 G |
| Total | 0.175 G | 0.035 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both alfalfa sprouts and peas contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Peas | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.234 G | 0.152 G |
| Total | 0.234 G | 0.152 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: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Peas (Peas, green, raw) .
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Peas 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 peas contain more calories in 100 grams?Alfalfa sprout has 70% less calories than pea - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and pea has 81 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or peas better for protein?
Alfalfa sprouts and peas contain similar amounts of protein - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and pea has 5.4g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or peas have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has 5.8 times fewer carbohydrates than pea - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and pea has 14.5g of carbohydrates.