Cauliflower vs. Leeks
Nutrition comparison of Cauliflower and Leeks
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cauliflower
versus
leeks
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cauliflower and leeks:
- Cauliflower has 59% less calories than leek.
- Cauliflower has 65% less carbohydrates than leek.
- Cauliflower has more pantothenic acid.
- Cauliflower is a great source of potassium.
- Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than cauliflower.
- Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cauliflower has 59% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and cauliflower has 25 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cauliflower is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to leeks for fat. Cauliflower has a macronutrient ratio of 26:66:8 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cauliflower | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 66% | 86% |
| Fat | 8% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cauliflower has 65% less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and cauliflower has 5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Leeks and cauliflower contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cauliflower has 2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and cauliflower contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and cauliflower has 1.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and cauliflower contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and cauliflower has 1.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and cauliflower are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.13g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 302% more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cauliflower has 48.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than cauliflower - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cauliflower does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Leeks and cauliflower contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Leek has 203% more Vitamin K than cauliflower - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cauliflower has 15.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cauliflower has more pantothenic acid. Both cauliflower and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cauliflower | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.05 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.507 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.667 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.184 MG | 0.233 MG |
| Folate | 57 UG | 64 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 168% more calcium than cauliflower - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and cauliflower has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 400% more iron than cauliflower - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.42mg of iron.
potassium
Cauliflower is a great source of potassium and it has 66% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and cauliflower has 299mg 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, leek has more kaempferol and myricetin than cauliflower per 100 grams, however, cauliflower contains more quercetin than leek per 100 grams.
| Cauliflower | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.03 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.09 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.36 mg | 2.67 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.54 mg | 0.09 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.22 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,
| Cauliflower | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1 UG | 1900 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 1000 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, leek has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cauliflower per 100 grams.
| Cauliflower | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.015 G | 0.099 G |
| Total | 0.015 G | 0.099 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, leek has more linoleic acid than cauliflower per 100 grams.
| Cauliflower | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.016 G | 0.067 G |
| Total | 0.019 G | 0.067 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: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) .
Cauliflower g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Leeks 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 leeks or cauliflower contain more calories in 100 grams?Cauliflower has 60% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and cauliflower has 25 calories.
Does leeks or cauliflower have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cauliflower has 70% fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and cauliflower has 5g of carbohydrates.