Asparagus vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and onion:
- Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus has 50% less calories than onion - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 34% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 61% | 87% |
| Fat | 5% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 24% more dietary fiber than onion - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and onion are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Asparagus has more Vitamin A than onion - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has 103 times more Vitamin K than onion - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both asparagus and onion contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Asparagus | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 919% more iron than onion - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Asparagus is a great source of potassium and it has 38% more potassium than onion - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, both asparagus and onion contain significant amounts of isorhamnetin and quercetin.
| Asparagus | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 5.7 mg | 5.01 mg |
| kaempferol | 1.39 mg | 0.65 mg |
| Quercetin | 13.98 mg | 20.3 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 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,
| Asparagus | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both asparagus and onion contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Asparagus | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Asparagus | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.04 G | 0.013 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 (%) |
Onion 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 onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus has 50% less calories than onion - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Is asparagus or onion better for protein?
Asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Does asparagus or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.