Asparagus vs. Cucumber
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Cucumber
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
cucumber
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and cucumber:
- Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and cucumber has 15 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to cucumber for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for cucumber, 15:80:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 34% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 61% | 80% |
| Fat | 5% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both asparagus and cucumber are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 320% more dietary fiber than cucumber - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and cucumber has 1.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.65g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and cucumber are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Asparagus has 100% more Vitamin C than cucumber - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Asparagus has 660% more Vitamin A than cucumber - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has 154% more Vitamin K than cucumber - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both asparagus and cucumber contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Asparagus | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.098 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.259 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 7 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of calcium - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and cucumber has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 664% more iron than cucumber - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.28mg of iron.
potassium
Asparagus is a great source of potassium and it has 37% more potassium than cucumber - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and cucumber has 147mg 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 | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 5.7 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 1.39 mg | 0.13 mg |
| Quercetin | 13.98 mg | 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, both asparagus and cucumber contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Asparagus | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 45 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | 11 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | 23 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both asparagus and cucumber contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Asparagus | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.005 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.005 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and cucumber contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Asparagus | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.028 G |
| Total | 0.04 G | 0.028 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.
Asparagus g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cucumber 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 cucumber contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and cucumber has 15 calories.
Is asparagus or cucumber better for protein?
Asparagus and cucumber contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.65g of protein.
Does asparagus or cucumber have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both asparagus and cucumber are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber.