Basil vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Basil and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
basil
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in basil and squash:
- Both squash and basil are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
- Basil has 75% less carbohydrates than squash.
- Basil has more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash, however, squash contains more alpha-carotene than basil.
- Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K and iron.
- Squash has more thiamin, however, basil contains more riboflavin and folate.
- Squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Squash and basil contain similar amounts of calories - squash 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 squash per calorie. Basil has a macronutrient ratio of 43:32:24 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Basil | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 43% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 91% |
| Fat | 24% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Basil has 75% less carbohydrates than squash - squash has 10.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 100% more dietary fiber than basil - squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and basil has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Squash and basil contain similar amounts of sugar - squash has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and basil has 0.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Basil has 250% more protein than squash - squash has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both squash and basil are low in saturated fat - squash has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and basil has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both squash and basil are high in Vitamin C. Basil has 19% more Vitamin C than squash - squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and basil has 18mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both squash and basil are high in Vitamin A. Squash has 111% more Vitamin A than basil - squash has 558ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and basil has 264ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Squash and basil contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - squash has 1.3mg 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 413 times more Vitamin K than squash - squash has 1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and basil has 414.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Squash has more thiamin, however, basil contains more riboflavin and folate. Both basil and squash contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Basil | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.034 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.076 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 0.902 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.209 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.155 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 68 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both squash and basil are high in calcium. Basil has 332% more calcium than squash - squash has 41mg of calcium per 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
iron
Basil is an excellent source of iron and it has 428% more iron than squash - squash has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both squash and basil are high in potassium. Squash is very similar to squash for potassium - squash has 284mg of potassium per 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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, basil has more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams, however, squash contains more alpha-carotene than basil per 100 grams. Both basil and squash contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Basil | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3142 UG | 4570 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5650 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, basil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than squash per 100 grams.
| Basil | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.316 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.316 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, basil has more linoleic acid than squash per 100 grams.
| Basil | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.073 G | 0.014 G |
| Total | 0.073 G | 0.014 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 (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 squash or basil contain more calories in 100 grams?Squash and basil contain similar amounts of calories - squash has 40 calories in 100g and basil has 23 calories.
Is squash or basil better for protein?
Basil has 250% more protein than squash - squash has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Does squash or basil have more carbohydrates?
By weight, basil has 80% fewer carbohydrates than squash - squash has 10.5g of carbs for 100g and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.
Does squash or basil contain more calcium?
Both squash and basil are high in calcium. Basil has 330% more calcium than squash - squash has 41mg of calcium in 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
Does squash or basil contain more iron?
Basil is an abundant source of iron and it has 430% more iron than squash - squash has 0.6mg of iron in 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.
Does squash or basil contain more potassium?
Both squash and basil are high in potassium. Squash is very similar to squash for potassium - squash has 284mg of potassium in 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.