Lemon vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and onion:
- Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Lemon is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is similar to onion for protein, carbs and fat. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 87% |
| Fat | 6% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 65% more dietary fiber than onion - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and onion are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lemon is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 616% more Vitamin C than onion - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and lemon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Both lemon and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Lemon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon has 138mg 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, lemon has more luteolin and myricetin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 1.9 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.03 mg | 0.65 mg |
| myricetin | 0.5 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.14 mg | 20.3 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 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, both lemon and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Lemon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.063 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.
Lemon 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 lemon or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does lemon or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.