Wheat Germ vs. Alfalfa Sprouts
Nutrition comparison of Wheat Germ and Alfalfa Sprouts
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
wheat germ
versus
alfalfa sprouts
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat germ and alfalfa sprouts:
- Alfalfa sprout has 23.1 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Wheat germ is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 94% less calories than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and wheat germ has 360 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, wheat germ is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to alfalfa sprouts for fat. Wheat germ has a macronutrient ratio of 24:54:23 and for alfalfa sprouts, 52:27:21 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Wheat Germ | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 52% |
| Carbohydrates | 54% | 27% |
| Fat | 23% | 21% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and alfalfa sprout has 96% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and wheat germ has 51.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 595% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and wheat germ contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Wheat germ is an excellent source of protein and it has 480% more protein than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and wheat germ has 23.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Alfalfa sprout has 23.1 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin C than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin A than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprout has more Vitamin K than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Wheat Germ | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 1.882 MG | 0.076 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.499 MG | 0.126 MG |
| Niacin | 6.813 MG | 0.481 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.257 MG | 0.563 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3 MG | 0.034 MG |
| Folate | 281 UG | 36 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprouts and wheat germ contain similar amounts of calcium - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and wheat germ has 39mg of calcium.
iron
Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron and it has 552% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron.
potassium
Wheat germ is an excellent source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and wheat germ has 892mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.723 G | 0.175 G |
| Total | 0.723 G | 0.175 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Wheat Germ | Alfalfa Sprouts | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 5.287 G | 0.234 G |
| Total | 5.287 G | 0.234 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Wheat Germ or Alfalfa Sprouts .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) and Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) .
Wheat Germ 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 % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 wheat germ contain more calories in 100 grams?Wheat germ is high in calories and alfalfa sprout has 90% less calories than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and wheat germ has 360 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or wheat germ better for protein?
Wheat germ is a fantastic source of protein and it has 480% more protein than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and wheat germ has 23.2g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or wheat germ have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and alfalfa sprout has 100% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and wheat germ has 51.8g of carbohydrates.
Does alfalfa sprouts or wheat germ contain more iron?
Wheat germ is an abundant source of iron and it has 550% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron in 100 grams and wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron.
Does alfalfa sprouts or wheat germ contain more potassium?
Wheat germ is a rich source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium in 100 grams and wheat germ has 892mg of potassium.