Jicama vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Jicama and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
jicama
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in jicama and onion:
- Jicama is an excellent source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Onion has more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Jicama (Yambean (jicama), raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and jicama has 38 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, jicama is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Jicama has a macronutrient ratio of 7:91:2 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Jicama | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 87% |
| Fat | 2% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of carbs - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and jicama has 8.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Jicama is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 188% more dietary fiber than onion - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and jicama has 4.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and jicama has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and jicama has 0.72g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and jicama are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and jicama has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Jicama is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 173% more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and jicama has 20.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Jicama and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - jicama has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and jicama has 0.46mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and jicama has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Onion has more Vitamin B6. Both jicama and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Jicama | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.02 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.029 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.2 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.135 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.042 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 12 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion has 92% more calcium than jicama - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and jicama has 12mg of calcium.
iron
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of iron - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and jicama has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of potassium - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and jicama has 150mg 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, both jicama and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Jicama | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 13 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, jicama has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Jicama | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.014 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.014 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both jicama and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Jicama | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.029 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.029 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.
Jicama 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 onion or jicama contain more calories in 100 grams?Onion and jicama contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories in 100g and jicama has 38 calories.
Does onion or jicama have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion and jicama contain similar amounts of carbs - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and jicama has 8.8g of carbohydrates.