Asparagus vs. Carrots
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Carrots
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
carrots
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and carrots:
- Both asparagus and carrots are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Asparagus has 51% less calories than carrot.
- Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
- Asparagus is a great source of iron.
- Carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than asparagus, however, asparagus contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot.
- Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus has 51% less calories than carrot - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to carrots for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 35:62:4 and for carrots, 8:88:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 35% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 62% | 88% |
| Fat | 4% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch.
dietary fiber
Both asparagus and carrots are high in dietary fiber. Carrot has 33% more dietary fiber than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and carrots are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 20 times more Vitamin A than asparagus - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has 215% more Vitamin K than carrot - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate. Both asparagus and carrots contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Asparagus | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.273 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.138 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Carrot has 38% more calcium than asparagus - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 613% more iron than carrot - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both asparagus and carrots are high in potassium. Carrot has 58% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds,
| Asparagus | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 5.7 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 1.39 mg | 0.24 mg |
| Quercetin | 13.98 mg | 0.21 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.11 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.04 mg |
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, carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than asparagus per 100 grams, however, asparagus contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 8285 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | 3477 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | 256 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 1 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both asparagus and carrots contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Asparagus | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.002 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, carrot has more linoleic acid than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.1 G |
| Total | 0.04 G | 0.1 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 Asparagus or Carrots .
Asparagus g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Carrots 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 asparagus or carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus has 50% less calories than carrot - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Is asparagus or carrots better for protein?
Asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Does asparagus or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch.
Does asparagus or carrots contain more potassium?
Both asparagus and carrots are high in potassium. Carrot has 60% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.