Chives vs. Leeks

Nutrition comparison of Chives and Leeks


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chives and leeks:

  • Both leeks and chives are high in calcium.
  • Chive has 51% less calories than leek.
  • Chive has 69% less carbohydrates than leek.
  • Chive has more beta-carotene than leek, however, leek contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than chive.
  • Chive has more riboflavin.
  • Chive is a great source of dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Chive is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
  • Leek is a great source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chives and leeks 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: Chives (Chives, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Chives src
Image of Leeks src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Chive has 51% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and chive has 30 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, chives is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and lighter in fat compared to leeks per calorie. Chives has a macronutrient ratio of 50:50:0 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chives Leeks
Protein 50% 9%
Carbohydrates 50% 86%
Fat ~ 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Chive has 69% less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and chive has 4.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Chive is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 39% more dietary fiber than leek - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chive has 2.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Leeks and chives contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and chive has 1.9g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Chive has 118% more protein than leek - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and chive has 3.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both leeks and chives are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chive has 0.15g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chive is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 384% more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chive has 58.1mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Chive is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 163% more Vitamin A than leek - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chive has 218ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Leeks and chives contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chive has 0.21mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Chive is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 353% more Vitamin K than leek - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chive has 212.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chive has more riboflavin. Both chives and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Chives Leeks
Thiamin 0.078 MG 0.06 MG
Riboflavin 0.115 MG 0.03 MG
Niacin 0.647 MG 0.4 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.324 MG 0.14 MG
Vitamin B6 0.138 MG 0.233 MG
Folate 105 UG 64 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both leeks and chives are high in calcium. Chive has 56% more calcium than leek - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and chive has 92mg of calcium.

iron

Leek is a great source of iron and it has 31% more iron than chive - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and chive has 1.6mg of iron.

potassium

Chive is a great source of potassium and it has 64% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and chive has 296mg 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, chive has more isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more myricetin than chive per 100 grams.

Chives Leeks
luteolin 0.15 mg ~
isorhamnetin 6.75 mg ~
kaempferol 10.0 mg 2.67 mg
Quercetin 4.77 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, chive has more beta-carotene than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than chive per 100 grams.

Chives Leeks
beta-carotene 2612 UG 1000 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 323 UG 1900 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Chives Leeks
alpha linoleic acid 0.015 G 0.099 G
Total 0.015 G 0.099 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chive has more linoleic acid than leek per 100 grams.

Chives Leeks
linoleic acid 0.252 G 0.067 G
Total 0.252 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: Chives (Chives, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) .

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FAQ

Does leeks or chives contain more calories in 100 grams?
Chive has 50% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and chive has 30 calories.

Is leeks or chives better for protein?
Chive has 120% more protein than leek - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and chive has 3.3g of protein.

Does leeks or chives have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chive has 70% fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and chive has 4.4g of carbohydrates.

Does leeks or chives contain more calcium?
Both leeks and chives are high in calcium. Chive has 60% more calcium than leek - leek has 59mg of calcium in 100 grams and chive has 92mg of calcium.