Cucumber vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Cucumber and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cucumber
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cucumber and onion:
- Cucumber has 63% less calories than onion.
- Cucumber has more pantothenic acid, however, onion contains more Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cucumber has 63% less calories than onion - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cucumber is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Cucumber has a macronutrient ratio of 15:80:5 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cucumber | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 80% | 87% |
| Fat | 5% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion has 240% more dietary fiber than cucumber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of protein - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cucumber and onion are low in saturated fat - cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has 164% more Vitamin C than cucumber - cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cucumber has more pantothenic acid, however, onion contains more Vitamin B6 and folate. Both cucumber and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
| Cucumber | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.098 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 7 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of iron - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - cucumber has 147mg 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,
| Cucumber | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.13 mg | 0.65 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.04 mg | 20.3 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 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,
| Cucumber | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 45 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 11 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both cucumber and onion contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Cucumber | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cucumber and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cucumber | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.028 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.028 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.
Cucumber 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 cucumber or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Cucumber has 60% less calories than onion - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does cucumber or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cucumber and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.