Onion vs. Red Bell Pepper
Nutrition comparison of Onion and Red Bell Pepper
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
onion
versus
red bell pepper
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in onion and red bell pepper:
- Red bell pepper has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Red bell pepper is a great source of dietary fiber and potassium.
- Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Onion (Onions, raw) and Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 26 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, onion is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to red bell pepper for protein. Onion has a macronutrient ratio of 11:87:3 and for red bell pepper, 13:79:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Onion | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 79% |
| Fat | 3% | 8% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Red bell pepper is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 24% more dietary fiber than onion - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 2.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.99g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and red bell pepper are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 16 times more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 127.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than onion - red bell pepper has 157ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Red bell pepper has 78 times more Vitamin E than onion - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 1.6mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Red bell pepper has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both onion and red bell pepper contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Onion | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.054 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.085 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 0.979 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.123 MG | 0.317 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 MG | 0.291 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 46 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion has 229% more calcium than red bell pepper - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of iron - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.43mg of iron.
potassium
Red bell pepper is a great source of potassium and it has 45% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 211mg 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, red bell pepper has more luteolin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin than red bell pepper per 100 grams.
| Onion | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | 0.61 mg |
| isorhamnetin | 5.01 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.65 mg | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 20.3 mg | 0.23 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,
| Onion | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 1624 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4 UG | 51 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 20 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, red bell pepper has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Onion | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.004 G | 0.056 G |
| Total | 0.004 G | 0.056 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, red bell pepper has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Onion | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.1 G |
| Total | 0.013 G | 0.1 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: Onion (Onions, raw) and Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) .
Onion g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Red Bell Pepper g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 red bell pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?Onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories in 100g and red bell pepper has 26 calories.
Does onion or red bell pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates.