Iceberg Lettuce vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Iceberg Lettuce and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
iceberg lettuce
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in iceberg lettuce and onion:
- Iceberg lettuce has 65% less calories than onion.
- Iceberg lettuce has 68% less carbohydrates than onion.
- Onion has more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Iceberg lettuce has 65% less calories than onion - iceberg lettuce has 14 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, iceberg lettuce is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Iceberg lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 21:70:9 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Iceberg Lettuce | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 70% | 87% |
| Fat | 9% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Iceberg lettuce has 68% less carbohydrates than onion - iceberg lettuce has 3g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion has 42% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Iceberg lettuce and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Iceberg lettuce and onion contain similar amounts of protein - iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both iceberg lettuce and onion are low in saturated fat - iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has 164% more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Iceberg lettuce has more Vitamin A than onion - iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Iceberg lettuce and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Iceberg lettuce has 59 times more Vitamin K than onion - iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Onion has more Vitamin B6. Both iceberg lettuce and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.025 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.123 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.091 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.042 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 29 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Iceberg lettuce and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Iceberg lettuce and onion contain similar amounts of iron - iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Iceberg lettuce and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - iceberg lettuce has 141mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, both iceberg lettuce and onion contain small amounts of apigenin, luteolin and myricetin.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.13 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.03 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.15 mg | 0.65 mg |
| myricetin | 0.06 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.42 mg | 20.3 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 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,
| Iceberg Lettuce | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 299 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 4 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 277 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, iceberg lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.052 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.052 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both iceberg lettuce and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.021 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.021 G | 0.013 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: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) .
Iceberg Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Onion 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 onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Iceberg lettuce has 70% less calories than onion - iceberg lettuce has 14 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does iceberg lettuce or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, iceberg lettuce has 70% fewer carbohydrates than onion - iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.