Leeks vs. Parsnip

Nutrition comparison of Leeks and Parsnip


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of leeks versus parsnip (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in leeks and parsnip:

  • Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than parsnip.
  • Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
  • Parsnip has more pantothenic acid, however, leek contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Parsnip is a great source of Vitamin C.
  • Parsnip is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of leeks and parsnip is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Parsnip (Parsnips, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Leeks src
Image of Parsnip src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of calories - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and parsnip has 75 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, leeks is lighter in carbs and similar to parsnip for protein and fat. Leeks has a macronutrient ratio of 9:86:5 and for parsnip, 6:91:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Leeks Parsnip
Protein 9% 6%
Carbohydrates 86% 91%
Fat 5% 3%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of carbs - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and parsnip has 18g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Parsnip is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 172% more dietary fiber than leek - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and parsnip has 4.9g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and parsnip has 4.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and parsnip has 1.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both leeks and parsnip are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parsnip has 0.05g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Parsnip is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 42% more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and parsnip has 17mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than parsnip - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and parsnip does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parsnip has 1.5mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Leek has 109% more Vitamin K than parsnip - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parsnip has 22.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Parsnip has more pantothenic acid, however, leek contains more Vitamin B6. Both leeks and parsnip contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.

Leeks Parsnip
Thiamin 0.06 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.03 MG 0.05 MG
Niacin 0.4 MG 0.7 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.14 MG 0.6 MG
Vitamin B6 0.233 MG 0.09 MG
Folate 64 UG 67 UG

Minerals

calcium

Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 64% more calcium than parsnip - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and parsnip has 36mg of calcium.

iron

Leek is a great source of iron and it has 256% more iron than parsnip - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and parsnip has 0.59mg of iron.

potassium

Parsnip is an excellent source of potassium and it has 108% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and parsnip has 375mg 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 parsnip per 100 grams, however, parsnip contains more quercetin than leek per 100 grams.

Leeks Parsnip
kaempferol 2.67 mg ~
myricetin 0.22 mg ~
Quercetin 0.09 mg 0.99 mg

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, leek has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than parsnip per 100 grams.

Leeks Parsnip
alpha linoleic acid 0.099 G 0.003 G
Total 0.099 G 0.003 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both leeks and parsnip contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Leeks Parsnip
linoleic acid 0.067 G 0.041 G
Total 0.067 G 0.041 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: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Parsnip (Parsnips, raw) .

Leeks g

()
Daily Values (%)

Parsnip g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does leeks or parsnip contain more calories in 100 grams?
Leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of calories - leek has 61 calories in 100g and parsnip has 75 calories.

Does leeks or parsnip have more carbohydrates?
By weight, leeks and parsnip contain similar amounts of carbs - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and parsnip has 18g of carbohydrates.

Does leeks or parsnip contain more potassium?
Parsnip is a rich source of potassium and it has 110% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium in 100 grams and parsnip has 375mg of potassium.