Beets vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and onion:
- Beet has more folate.
- Beet is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Beet is an excellent source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of calories - beet has 43 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is lighter in carbs and similar to onion for protein and fat. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:83:3 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 83% | 87% |
| Fat | 3% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - beet has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Beet is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 65% more dietary fiber than onion - beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - beet has 6.8g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of protein - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beets and onion are low in saturated fat - beet has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has 51% more Vitamin C than beet - beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beet has more folate. Both beets and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Beets | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Beets and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - beet has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Beet has 281% more iron than onion - beet has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Beet is an excellent source of potassium and it has 123% more potassium than onion - beet has 325mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, beet has more luteolin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol than beet per 100 grams.
| Beets | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 20.3 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 0.65 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 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, both beets and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene.
| Beets | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 20 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beets and onion contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beets | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beet has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Beets | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.055 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.
Beets 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 beets or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Beets and onion contain similar amounts of calories - beet has 43 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does beets or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beets and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - beet has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
Does beets or onion contain more potassium?
Beet is a rich source of potassium and it has 120% more potassium than onion - beet has 325mg of potassium in 100 grams and onion has 146mg of potassium.