Bean Sprouts vs. Iceberg Lettuce

Nutrition comparison of Bean Sprouts and Iceberg Lettuce

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of bean sprouts versus iceberg lettuce (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bean sprouts and iceberg lettuce:

  • Bean sprout has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of bean sprouts and iceberg lettuce is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Bean Sprouts (Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Bean Sprouts src
Image of Iceberg Lettuce src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of calories - iceberg lettuce has 14 calories per 100 grams and bean sprout has 30 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, bean sprouts is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to iceberg lettuce for fat. Bean sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 33:63:5 and for iceberg lettuce, 21:72:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Bean Sprouts Iceberg Lettuce
Protein 33% 21%
Carbohydrates 63% 72%
Fat 5% 8%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of carbs - iceberg lettuce has 3g of total carbs per 100 grams and bean sprout has 5.9g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in iceberg lettuce are made of 62% sugar and 38% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in bean sprouts comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Bean sprout has 50% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and bean sprout has 1.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of sugar - iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and bean sprout has 4.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Bean sprout has 238% more protein than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and bean sprout has 3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts are low in saturated fat - iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.05g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 371% more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bean sprout has 13.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Iceberg lettuce has 24 times more Vitamin A than bean sprout - iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bean sprout has 1ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bean sprout has 33ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Bean sprout has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both bean sprouts and iceberg lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin.

Bean Sprouts Iceberg Lettuce
Thiamin 0.084 MG 0.041 MG
Riboflavin 0.124 MG 0.025 MG
Niacin 0.749 MG 0.123 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.091 MG
Vitamin B6 0.088 MG 0.042 MG
Folate 61 UG 29 UG

Minerals

calcium

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of calcium - iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium per 100 grams and bean sprout has 13mg of calcium.

iron

Bean sprout has 122% more iron than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.91mg of iron.

potassium

Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of potassium - iceberg lettuce has 141mg of potassium per 100 grams and bean sprout has 149mg 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, bean sprout has more kaempferol than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams, however, iceberg lettuce contains more quercetin than bean sprout per 100 grams.

Bean Sprouts Iceberg Lettuce
kaempferol 0.33 mg 0.15 mg
Quercetin 0.15 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 bean sprouts and iceberg lettuce contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.

Bean Sprouts Iceberg Lettuce
beta-carotene 6 UG 299 UG
alpha-carotene 6 UG 4 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 277 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, iceberg lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than bean sprout per 100 grams.

Bean Sprouts Iceberg Lettuce
alpha linoleic acid 0.016 G 0.052 G
Total 0.016 G 0.052 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both bean sprouts and iceberg lettuce contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Bean Sprouts Iceberg Lettuce
linoleic acid 0.042 G 0.021 G
Total 0.042 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: Bean Sprouts (Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) .

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FAQ

Does iceberg lettuce or bean sprouts contain more calories in 100 grams?
Iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of calories - iceberg lettuce has 14 calories in 100g and bean sprout has 30 calories.

Is iceberg lettuce or bean sprouts better for protein?
Bean sprout has 240% more protein than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and bean sprout has 3g of protein.

Does iceberg lettuce or bean sprouts have more carbohydrates?
By weight, iceberg lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of carbs - iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbs for 100g and bean sprout has 5.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in iceberg lettuce are made of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in bean sprouts comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.