Asparagus vs. Cabbage
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Cabbage
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
cabbage
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and cabbage:
- Both asparagus and cabbage are high in dietary fiber.
- Asparagus has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than cabbage, however, cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than asparagus.
- Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
- Asparagus is a great source of iron.
- Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Cabbage (Cabbage, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and cabbage has 25 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to cabbage for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for cabbage, 17:80:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 34% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 61% | 80% |
| Fat | 5% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of carbs - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in cabbage comprise of 56% sugar and 44% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both asparagus and cabbage are high in dietary fiber. Asparagus is very similar to asparagus for dietary fiber - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cabbage has 2.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and cabbage has 3.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and cabbage has 1.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and cabbage are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 554% more Vitamin C than asparagus - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cabbage has 36.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Asparagus has 660% more Vitamin A than cabbage - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cabbage has 5ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.15mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cabbage has 83% more Vitamin K than asparagus - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cabbage has 76ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Both asparagus and cabbage contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Asparagus | Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.234 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.212 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 43 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cabbage has 67% more calcium than asparagus - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and cabbage has 40mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 355% more iron than cabbage - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.47mg of iron.
potassium
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of potassium - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and cabbage has 170mg 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,
| Asparagus | Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 5.7 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 1.39 mg | 0.18 mg |
| Quercetin | 13.98 mg | 0.28 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.08 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.1 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, asparagus has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than cabbage per 100 grams, however, cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 42 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | 33 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | 30 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and cabbage contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Asparagus | Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.017 G |
| Total | 0.04 G | 0.017 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.
Asparagus g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cabbage 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 asparagus or cabbage contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and cabbage has 25 calories.
Is asparagus or cabbage better for protein?
Asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and cabbage has 1.3g of protein.
Does asparagus or cabbage have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus and cabbage contain similar amounts of carbs - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in cabbage comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.