Asparagus vs. Iceberg Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Iceberg Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
iceberg lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and iceberg lettuce:
- Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to iceberg lettuce for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for iceberg lettuce, 21:72:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 34% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 61% | 72% |
| Fat | 5% | 8% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both asparagus and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in iceberg lettuce comprise of 62% sugar and 38% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and iceberg lettuce are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Asparagus has 100% more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain significant amounts of folate.
| Asparagus | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.025 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.042 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calcium - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 422% more iron than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron.
potassium
Asparagus is a great source of potassium and it has 43% more potassium than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 141mg 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 | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 5.7 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 1.39 mg | 0.15 mg |
| Quercetin | 13.98 mg | 1.42 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.13 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.03 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.06 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 iceberg lettuce contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Asparagus | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 299 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | 4 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | 277 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, iceberg lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.052 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.052 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Asparagus | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.021 G |
| Total | 0.04 G | 0.021 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: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) .
Asparagus g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Iceberg Lettuce g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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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 % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 asparagus or iceberg lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
Is asparagus or iceberg lettuce better for protein?
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.
Does asparagus or iceberg lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both asparagus and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in iceberg lettuce comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.