Basil vs. Iceberg Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Basil and Iceberg Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
basil
versus
iceberg lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in basil and iceberg lettuce:
- Basil has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Basil is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
- Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Iceberg lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of calories - iceberg lettuce has 14 calories per 100 grams and basil has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, basil is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to iceberg lettuce per calorie. Basil has a macronutrient ratio of 43:32:24 and for iceberg lettuce, 21:72:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Basil | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 43% | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 72% |
| Fat | 24% | 8% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both iceberg lettuce and basil are low in carbohydrates - iceberg lettuce has 3g of total carbs per 100 grams and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in iceberg lettuce are made of 62% sugar and 38% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in basil comprise of 84% dietary fiber and 16% sugar.
dietary fiber
Basil has 33% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and basil has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Iceberg lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of sugar - iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and basil has 0.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Basil has 250% more protein than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both iceberg lettuce and basil are low in saturated fat - iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and basil has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Basil is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 543% more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and basil has 18mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 956% more Vitamin A than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and basil has 264ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Iceberg lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and basil has 0.8mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 16 times more Vitamin K than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and basil has 414.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Basil has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both basil and iceberg lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.
| Basil | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.034 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.076 MG | 0.025 MG |
| Niacin | 0.902 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.209 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.155 MG | 0.042 MG |
| Folate | 68 UG | 29 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Basil is an excellent source of calcium and it has 883% more calcium than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium per 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
iron
Basil is an excellent source of iron and it has 673% more iron than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron per 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.
potassium
Basil is a great source of potassium and it has 109% more potassium than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 141mg of potassium per 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Basil | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3142 UG | 299 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5650 UG | 277 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, basil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams.
| Basil | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.316 G | 0.052 G |
| Total | 0.316 G | 0.052 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, basil has more linoleic acid than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams.
| Basil | Iceberg Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.073 G | 0.021 G |
| Total | 0.073 G | 0.021 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: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) .
Basil g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Iceberg Lettuce 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 iceberg lettuce or basil contain more calories in 100 grams?Iceberg lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of calories - iceberg lettuce has 14 calories in 100g and basil has 23 calories.
Is iceberg lettuce or basil better for protein?
Basil has 250% more protein than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Does iceberg lettuce or basil have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both iceberg lettuce and basil are low in carbohydrates - iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbs for 100g and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates. the carbs in iceberg lettuce are made of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in basil comprise of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar.
Does iceberg lettuce or basil contain more calcium?
Basil is a rich source of calcium and it has 880% more calcium than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium in 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
Does iceberg lettuce or basil contain more iron?
Basil is an abundant source of iron and it has 670% more iron than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron in 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.