Basil vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Basil and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
basil
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in basil and onion:
- Basil has 72% less carbohydrates than onion.
- Basil has more riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Basil is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
- Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Onion and basil contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and basil has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, basil is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Basil has a macronutrient ratio of 43:32:24 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Basil | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 43% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 87% |
| Fat | 24% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Basil has 72% less carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion and basil contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and basil has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and basil contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and basil has 0.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Basil has 186% more protein than onion - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and basil are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and basil has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Basil is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 143% more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and basil has 18mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than onion - basil has 264ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and basil contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and basil has 0.8mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1036 times more Vitamin K than onion - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and basil has 414.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Basil has more riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both basil and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Basil | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.034 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.076 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.902 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.209 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.155 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 68 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Basil is an excellent source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
iron
Basil is an excellent source of iron and it has 14 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.
potassium
Basil is a great source of potassium and it has 102% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, basil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Basil | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.316 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.316 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, basil has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Basil | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.073 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.073 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.
Basil g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Onion g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 onion or basil contain more calories in 100 grams?Onion and basil contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories in 100g and basil has 23 calories.
Is onion or basil better for protein?
Basil has 190% more protein than onion - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Does onion or basil have more carbohydrates?
By weight, basil has 70% fewer carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or basil contain more calcium?
Basil is a rich source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium in 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
Does onion or basil contain more iron?
Basil is an abundant source of iron and it has 14 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron in 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.