Basil vs. Thyme
Nutrition comparison of Basil and Thyme
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
basil
versus
thyme
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in basil and thyme:
- Both basil and thyme are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium.
- Basil has signficantly less carbohydrates than thyme.
- Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
- Thyme has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
- Thyme is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Thyme (Thyme, fresh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Thyme is high in calories and basil has 77% less calories than thyme - basil has 23 calories per 100 grams and thyme has 101 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, basil is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to thyme per calorie. Basil has a macronutrient ratio of 44:37:19 and for thyme, 17:72:11 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Basil | Thyme | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 44% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 37% | 72% |
| Fat | 19% | 11% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Basil has signficantly less carbohydrates than thyme - basil has 2.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and thyme has 24.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Thyme is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 775% more dietary fiber than basil - basil has 1.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and thyme has 14g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Basil and thyme contain similar amounts of sugar - basil has 0.3g of sugar per 100 grams and thyme does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Thyme has 77% more protein than basil - basil has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and thyme has 5.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both basil and thyme are low in saturated fat - basil has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and thyme has 0.47g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both basil and thyme are high in Vitamin C. Thyme has 789% more Vitamin C than basil - basil has 18mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and thyme has 160.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both basil and thyme are high in Vitamin A. Basil has 11% more Vitamin A than thyme - basil has 264ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and thyme has 238ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Basil has more Vitamin E than thyme - basil has 0.8mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and thyme does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than thyme - basil has 414.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and thyme does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Thyme has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both basil and thyme contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Basil | Thyme | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.034 MG | 0.048 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.076 MG | 0.471 MG |
| Niacin | 0.902 MG | 1.824 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.209 MG | 0.409 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.155 MG | 0.348 MG |
| Folate | 68 UG | 45 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both basil and thyme are high in calcium. Thyme has 129% more calcium than basil - basil has 177mg of calcium per 100 grams and thyme has 405mg of calcium.
iron
Both basil and thyme are high in iron. Thyme has 450% more iron than basil - basil has 3.2mg of iron per 100 grams and thyme has 17.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both basil and thyme are high in potassium. Thyme has 106% more potassium than basil - basil has 295mg of potassium per 100 grams and thyme has 609mg 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, both basil and thyme contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Basil | Thyme | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3142 UG | 2851 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5650 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both basil and thyme contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Basil | Thyme | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.316 G | 0.447 G |
| Total | 0.316 G | 0.447 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both basil and thyme contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Basil | Thyme | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.073 G | 0.085 G |
| Total | 0.073 G | 0.085 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Basil or Thyme .
Basil g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Thyme 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 basil or thyme contain more calories in 100 grams?Thyme is high in calories and basil has 80% less calories than thyme - basil has 23 calories in 100g and thyme has 101 calories.
Is basil or thyme better for protein?
Thyme has 80% more protein than basil - basil has 3.2g of protein per 100 grams and thyme has 5.6g of protein.
Does basil or thyme have more carbohydrates?
By weight, basil has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than thyme - basil has 2.7g of carbs for 100g and thyme has 24.5g of carbohydrates.
Does basil or thyme contain more calcium?
Both basil and thyme are high in calcium. Thyme has 130% more calcium than basil - basil has 177mg of calcium in 100 grams and thyme has 405mg of calcium.
Does basil or thyme contain more iron?
Both basil and thyme are high in iron. Thyme has 450% more iron than basil - basil has 3.2mg of iron in 100 grams and thyme has 17.5mg of iron.
Does basil or thyme contain more potassium?
Both basil and thyme are high in potassium. Thyme has 110% more potassium than basil - basil has 295mg of potassium in 100 grams and thyme has 609mg of potassium.