Bok Choy vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Bok Choy and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
bok choy
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bok choy and onion:
- Bok choy has 3.2 times less carbohydrates than onion.
- Bok choy has 68% less calories than onion.
- Bok choy has more riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Bok choy is a great source of potassium.
- Bok choy is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Bok Choy (Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Bok choy has 68% less calories than onion - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and bok choy has 13 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, bok choy is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Bok choy has a macronutrient ratio of 39:53:8 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Bok Choy | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 53% | 87% |
| Fat | 8% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Bok choy has 3.2 times less carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and bok choy has 2.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion has 70% more dietary fiber than bok choy - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and bok choy has 1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and bok choy contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and bok choy has 1.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and bok choy contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and bok choy has 1.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and bok choy are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and bok choy has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Bok choy is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 508% more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bok choy has 45mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Bok choy is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than onion - bok choy has 223ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and bok choy contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bok choy has 0.09mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bok choy has 112 times more Vitamin K than onion - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bok choy has 45.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bok choy has more riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both bok choy and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Bok Choy | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.07 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.5 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.088 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.194 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 66 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Bok choy is an excellent source of calcium and it has 357% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and bok choy has 105mg of calcium.
iron
Bok choy has 281% more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and bok choy has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Bok choy is a great source of potassium and it has 73% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and bok choy has 252mg 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, bok choy has more apigenin and kaempferol than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more quercetin and isorhamnetin than bok choy per 100 grams. Both bok choy and onion contain small amounts of luteolin and myricetin.
| Bok Choy | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.24 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.09 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 4.33 mg | 0.65 mg |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.06 mg | 20.3 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 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,
| Bok Choy | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2681 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 40 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, bok choy has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Bok Choy | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both bok choy and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Bok Choy | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.042 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.
Bok Choy 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 onion or bok choy contain more calories in 100 grams?Bok choy has 70% less calories than onion - onion has 40 calories in 100g and bok choy has 13 calories.
Is onion or bok choy better for protein?
Onion and bok choy contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and bok choy has 1.5g of protein.
Does onion or bok choy have more carbohydrates?
By weight, bok choy has 3.2 times fewer carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and bok choy has 2.2g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or bok choy contain more calcium?
Bok choy is a rich source of calcium and it has 360% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium in 100 grams and bok choy has 105mg of calcium.