Alfalfa Sprouts vs. Carrots

Nutrition comparison of Alfalfa Sprouts and Carrots

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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in alfalfa sprouts and carrots:

  • Alfalfa sprout has 22.7 times less sugar than carrot.
  • Alfalfa sprout has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than carrot.
  • Alfalfa sprout has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, carrot contains more niacin and Vitamin B6.
  • Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of alfalfa sprouts and carrots 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: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Alfalfa Sprouts src
Image of Carrots src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain similar amounts of calories - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, alfalfa sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to carrots per calorie. Alfalfa sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 53:29:18 and for carrots, 9:87:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Alfalfa Sprouts Carrots
Protein 53% 9%
Carbohydrates 29% 87%
Fat 18% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Alfalfa sprout has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than carrot - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch.

dietary fiber

Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 47% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Alfalfa sprout has 22.7 times less sugar than carrot - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Alfalfa sprout has 329% more protein than carrot - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both alfalfa sprouts and carrots are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 103 times more Vitamin A than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Alfalfa sprout has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, carrot contains more niacin and Vitamin B6. Both alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain significant amounts of thiamin and folate.

Alfalfa Sprouts Carrots
Thiamin 0.076 MG 0.066 MG
Riboflavin 0.126 MG 0.058 MG
Niacin 0.481 MG 0.983 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.563 MG 0.273 MG
Vitamin B6 0.034 MG 0.138 MG
Folate 36 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain similar amounts of calcium - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.

iron

Alfalfa sprout has 220% more iron than carrot - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.

potassium

Carrot is an excellent source of potassium and it has 305% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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, alfalfa sprout has more quercetin than carrot per 100 grams, however, carrot contains more kaempferol than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.

Alfalfa Sprouts Carrots
Quercetin 1.7 mg 0.21 mg
luteolin ~ 0.11 mg
kaempferol ~ 0.24 mg
myricetin ~ 0.04 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,

Alfalfa Sprouts Carrots
beta-carotene 87 UG 8285 UG
alpha-carotene 6 UG 3477 UG
lycopene ~ 1 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 256 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Alfalfa Sprouts Carrots
alpha linoleic acid 0.175 G 0.002 G
Total 0.175 G 0.002 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more linoleic acid than carrot per 100 grams.

Alfalfa Sprouts Carrots
linoleic acid 0.234 G 0.1 G
Total 0.234 G 0.1 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: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) .

Alfalfa Sprouts 33g

( cup )
Daily Values (%)

Carrots 128g

( cup )
7.6KCAL 0.4%
calories 584%
52KCAL 3%
0.69G 0.3%
carbohydrates >999%
12G 5%
0.63G 3%
dietary fiber 471%
3.6G 14%
0.07G sugar >999% 6.1G
0.23G 0.4%
total fat 35%
0.31G 1%
0.02G 0.1%
saturated fat 100%
0.04G 0.2%
0.02G monounsaturated fat 0.02G
0.13G polyunsaturated fat 0.13G
2MG 0.1%
sodium >999%
88MG 6%
Vitamins and Minerals
2.6UG 0.4%
Vitamin A >999%
1069UG 153%
2.7MG 4%
Vitamin C 181%
7.6MG 10%
11MG 1%
calcium 282%
42MG 4%
0.32MG 2%
iron 19%
0.38MG 2%
8.9MG 3%
magnesium 69%
15MG 5%
26MG 1%
potassium >999%
410MG 18%
0.03MG 2%
thiamin (Vit B1) 166%
0.08MG 8%
0.04MG 4%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 75%
0.07MG 7%
0.16MG 1%
niacin (Vit B3) 712%
1.3MG 9%
0.01MG 1%
Vitamin B6 >999%
0.18MG 14%
0.19MG 4%
pantothenic acid (Vit B5) 84%
0.35MG 7%
12UG 3%
folate (Vit B9) 100%
24UG 6%
Vitamin E >999%
0.84MG 6%
10UG 11%
Vitamin K 70%
17UG 19%
1.3G 3%
8% protein
1.2G 2%
4.8MG 1%
choline 129%
11MG 3%
0.05MG 4%
copper 20%
0.06MG 5%
fluoride >999%
4.1UG 0.1%
0.06MG 3%
manganese 200%
0.18MG 10%
23MG 3%
phosphorus 96%
45MG 6%
0.2UG 0.4%
54% selenium
0.13UG 0.2%
0.3MG 4%
zinc 3%
0.31MG 4%
31G Water 265% 113G
Starch >999% 1.8G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol, trans fat.

FAQ

Does alfalfa sprouts or carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?
Alfalfa sprouts and carrots contain similar amounts of calories - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.

Is alfalfa sprouts or carrots better for protein?
Alfalfa sprout has 330% more protein than carrot - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.

Does alfalfa sprouts or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has 3.5 times fewer carbohydrates than carrot - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch.

Does alfalfa sprouts or carrots contain more potassium?
Carrot is a rich source of potassium and it has 310% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.