Iceberg Lettuce vs. Leeks
Nutrition comparison of Iceberg Lettuce and Leeks
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
iceberg lettuce
versus
leeks
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in iceberg lettuce and leeks:
- Iceberg lettuce has 3.3 times less calories than leek.
- Iceberg lettuce has 3.7 times less carbohydrates than leek.
- Leek has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Leek has signficantly more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce.
- Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Iceberg lettuce has 3.3 times less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, iceberg lettuce is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to leeks for fat. Iceberg lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 21:72:8 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Iceberg Lettuce | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 72% | 86% |
| Fat | 8% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Iceberg lettuce has 3.7 times less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Leek has 50% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and iceberg lettuce are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Leek has signficantly more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Leek has 232% more Vitamin A than iceberg lettuce - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Leek has 95% more Vitamin K than iceberg lettuce - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Leek has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both iceberg lettuce and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.025 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.123 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.091 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.042 MG | 0.233 MG |
| Folate | 29 UG | 64 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 228% more calcium than iceberg lettuce - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 412% more iron than iceberg lettuce - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron.
potassium
Leeks and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of potassium - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 141mg 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, leek has more kaempferol and myricetin than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams, however, iceberg lettuce contains more quercetin than leek per 100 grams.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.13 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.03 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.15 mg | 2.67 mg |
| myricetin | 0.06 mg | 0.22 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.42 mg | 0.09 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 | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 299 UG | 1000 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 4 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 277 UG | 1900 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both iceberg lettuce and leeks contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Iceberg Lettuce | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.052 G | 0.099 G |
| Total | 0.052 G | 0.099 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, leek has more linoleic acid than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams.
| Iceberg Lettuce | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.021 G | 0.067 G |
| Total | 0.021 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: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) .
Iceberg Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Leeks g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 iceberg lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?Iceberg lettuce has 3.3 times less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
Does leeks or iceberg lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, iceberg lettuce has 3.7 times fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates.