Bean Sprouts vs. Romaine Lettuce

Nutrition comparison of Bean Sprouts and Romaine 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 romaine lettuce (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Bean sprout has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, romaine lettuce contains more folate.
  • Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C.
  • Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and potassium.
  • Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of bean sprouts and romaine 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 Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Bean Sprouts src
Image of Romaine Lettuce src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and bean sprout has 30 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, bean sprouts is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to romaine lettuce for carbs. Bean sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 33:63:5 and for romaine lettuce, 26:65:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Bean Sprouts Romaine Lettuce
Protein 33% 26%
Carbohydrates 63% 65%
Fat 5% 10%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of carbs - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and bean sprout has 5.9g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar, whereas the carbs in bean sprouts comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and bean sprout has 1.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of sugar - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and bean sprout has 4.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Bean sprout has 147% more protein than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and bean sprout has 3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both romaine lettuce and bean sprouts are low in saturated fat - romaine lettuce has 0.04g 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 230% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bean sprout has 13.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 435 times more Vitamin A than bean sprout - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bean sprout has 1ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 211% more Vitamin K than bean sprout - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bean sprout has 33ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Bean Sprouts Romaine Lettuce
Thiamin 0.084 MG 0.072 MG
Riboflavin 0.124 MG 0.067 MG
Niacin 0.749 MG 0.313 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.142 MG
Vitamin B6 0.088 MG 0.074 MG
Folate 61 UG 136 UG

Minerals

calcium

Romaine lettuce has 154% more calcium than bean sprout - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and bean sprout has 13mg of calcium.

iron

Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of iron - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.91mg of iron.

potassium

Romaine lettuce is a great source of potassium and it has 66% more potassium than bean sprout - romaine lettuce has 247mg 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 romaine lettuce per 100 grams, however, romaine lettuce contains more quercetin than bean sprout per 100 grams.

Bean Sprouts Romaine Lettuce
kaempferol 0.33 mg 0.02 mg
Quercetin 0.15 mg 2.2 mg
luteolin ~ 0.05 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,

Bean Sprouts Romaine Lettuce
beta-carotene 6 UG 5226 UG
alpha-carotene 6 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 2312 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Bean Sprouts Romaine Lettuce
alpha linoleic acid 0.016 G 0.113 G
Total 0.016 G 0.113 G

omega 6s

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

Bean Sprouts Romaine Lettuce
linoleic acid 0.042 G 0.047 G
Total 0.042 G 0.047 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 Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .

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FAQ

Does romaine lettuce or bean sprouts contain more calories in 100 grams?
Romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and bean sprout has 30 calories.

Is romaine lettuce or bean sprouts better for protein?
Bean sprout has 150% more protein than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and bean sprout has 3g of protein.

Does romaine lettuce or bean sprouts have more carbohydrates?
By weight, romaine lettuce and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of carbs - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and bean sprout has 5.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar, whereas the carbs in bean sprouts comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.