Leeks vs. Parsley
Nutrition comparison of Leeks and Parsley
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
leeks
versus
parsley
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in leeks and parsley:
- Both leeks and parsley are high in calcium and iron.
- Parsley has 55% less carbohydrates than leek.
- Parsley has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, leek contains more Vitamin B6.
- Parsley is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Parsley (Parsley, fresh) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Parsley has 41% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and parsley has 36 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, leeks is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to parsley per calorie. Leeks has a macronutrient ratio of 9:86:5 and for parsley, 27:57:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Leeks | Parsley | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 57% |
| Fat | 5% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Parsley has 55% less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and parsley has 6.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Parsley is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 83% more dietary fiber than leek - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and parsley has 3.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and parsley contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and parsley has 0.85g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and parsley contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and parsley has 3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and parsley are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parsley has 0.13g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Parsley is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 10 times more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and parsley has 133mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Parsley is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 407% more Vitamin A than leek - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and parsley has 421ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and parsley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parsley has 0.75mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Parsley is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 33 times more Vitamin K than leek - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parsley has 1640ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Parsley has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, leek contains more Vitamin B6. Both leeks and parsley contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Leeks | Parsley | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.06 MG | 0.086 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 MG | 0.098 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 1.313 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.14 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.233 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Folate | 64 UG | 152 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both leeks and parsley are high in calcium. Parsley has 134% more calcium than leek - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and parsley has 138mg of calcium.
iron
Both leeks and parsley are high in iron. Parsley has 195% more iron than leek - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and parsley has 6.2mg of iron.
potassium
Parsley is an excellent source of potassium and it has 208% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and parsley has 554mg 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 leeks and parsley contain significant amounts of kaempferol.
| Leeks | Parsley | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 2.67 mg | 1.49 mg |
| myricetin | 0.22 mg | 14.84 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.09 mg | 0.28 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 215.46 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 1.09 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,
| Leeks | Parsley | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1000 UG | 5054 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1900 UG | 5561 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, leek has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than parsley per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Parsley | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.099 G | 0.008 G |
| Total | 0.099 G | 0.008 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both leeks and parsley contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Leeks | Parsley | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.067 G | 0.115 G |
| Total | 0.067 G | 0.115 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.
Leeks g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Parsley 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 parsley contain more calories in 100 grams?Parsley has 40% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and parsley has 36 calories.
Does leeks or parsley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, parsley has 60% fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and parsley has 6.3g of carbohydrates.
Does leeks or parsley contain more calcium?
Both leeks and parsley are high in calcium. Parsley has 130% more calcium than leek - leek has 59mg of calcium in 100 grams and parsley has 138mg of calcium.
Does leeks or parsley contain more iron?
Both leeks and parsley are high in iron. Parsley has 200% more iron than leek - leek has 2.1mg of iron in 100 grams and parsley has 6.2mg of iron.
Does leeks or parsley contain more potassium?
Parsley is a rich source of potassium and it has 210% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium in 100 grams and parsley has 554mg of potassium.