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.
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.
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.
Chives 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 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.