Beets vs. Broccoli
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Broccoli
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
broccoli
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and broccoli:
- Both beets and broccoli are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Broccoli has 75% less sugar than beet.
- Broccoli has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and calcium.
- Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of calories - beet has 43 calories per 100 grams and broccoli has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to broccoli per calorie. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:83:3 and for broccoli, 28:65:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 83% | 65% |
| Fat | 3% | 7% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of carbs - beet has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both beets and broccoli are high in dietary fiber. Beet has a little more dietary fiber (8%) than broccoli by weight - beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Broccoli has 75% less sugar than beet - beet has 6.8g of sugar per 100 grams and broccoli has 1.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of protein - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beets and broccoli are low in saturated fat - beet has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 17 times more Vitamin C than beet - beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and broccoli has 89.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Broccoli has 14 times more Vitamin A than beet - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and broccoli has 31ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.78mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 507 times more Vitamin K than beet - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and broccoli has 101.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Broccoli has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both beets and broccoli contain significant amounts of thiamin and folate.
| Beets | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.071 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.117 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.639 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.573 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.175 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 63 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Broccoli is a great source of calcium and it has 194% more calcium than beet - beet has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.
iron
Beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of iron - beet has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.
potassium
Both beets and broccoli are high in potassium. Beet is very similar to broccoli for potassium - beet has 325mg of potassium per 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg 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,
| Beets | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 3.26 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 7.84 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,
| Beets | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 20 UG | 361 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 25 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 1403 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, broccoli has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beet per 100 grams.
| Beets | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.0215 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.0215 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beets and broccoli contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Beets | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.049 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.055 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.
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Broccoli 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 beets or broccoli contain more calories in 100 grams?Beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of calories - beet has 43 calories in 100g and broccoli has 34 calories.
Does beets or broccoli have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beets and broccoli contain similar amounts of carbs - beet has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.
Does beets or broccoli contain more potassium?
Both beets and broccoli are high in potassium. Beet is very similar to broccoli for potassium - beet has 325mg of potassium in 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg of potassium.