Bean Sprouts vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Bean Sprouts and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
bean sprouts
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bean sprouts and onion:
- Bean sprout has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Bean Sprouts (Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of calories - bean sprout has 30 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, bean sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Bean sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 33:63:5 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Bean Sprouts | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 33% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 63% | 87% |
| Fat | 5% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - bean sprout has 5.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - bean sprout has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - bean sprout has 4.1g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Bean sprout has 176% more protein than onion - bean sprout has 3g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both bean sprouts and onion are low in saturated fat - bean sprout has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 78% more Vitamin C than onion - bean sprout has 13.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - bean sprout has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bean sprout has 0.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bean sprout has 81 times more Vitamin K than onion - bean sprout has 33ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bean sprout has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both bean sprouts and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Bean Sprouts | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.084 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.124 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.749 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.088 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 61 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion has 77% more calcium than bean sprout - bean sprout has 13mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Bean sprout has 333% more iron than onion - bean sprout has 0.91mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - bean sprout has 149mg 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 bean sprouts and onion contain significant amounts of kaempferol.
| Bean Sprouts | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.33 mg | 0.65 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.15 mg | 20.3 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 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, both bean sprouts and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Bean Sprouts | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 6 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 6 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, bean sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Bean Sprouts | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.016 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.016 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both bean sprouts and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Bean Sprouts | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.042 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Bean Sprouts (Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) .
Bean Sprouts 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 % |
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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 bean sprouts or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of calories - bean sprout has 30 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Is bean sprouts or onion better for protein?
Bean sprout has 180% more protein than onion - bean sprout has 3g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Does bean sprouts or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, bean sprouts and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - bean sprout has 5.9g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.