Basil vs. Romaine Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Basil and Romaine Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
basil
versus
romaine lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in basil and romaine lettuce:
- Both romaine lettuce and basil are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K and potassium.
- Basil is a great source of Vitamin C.
- Basil is an excellent source of calcium and iron.
- Romaine lettuce has more thiamin, however, basil contains more niacin.
- Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Romaine lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and basil has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, basil is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to romaine lettuce per calorie. Basil has a macronutrient ratio of 43:32:24 and for romaine lettuce, 26:65:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Basil | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 43% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 32% | 65% |
| Fat | 24% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both romaine lettuce and basil are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar, whereas the carbs in basil comprise of 84% dietary fiber and 16% sugar.
dietary fiber
Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 31% more dietary fiber than basil - romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and basil has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Romaine lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of sugar - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and basil has 0.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Basil has 156% more protein than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both romaine lettuce and basil are low in saturated fat - romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and basil has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Basil is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 350% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and basil has 18mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both romaine lettuce and basil are high in Vitamin A. Romaine lettuce has 65% more Vitamin A than basil - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and basil has 264ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Romaine lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and basil has 0.8mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both romaine lettuce and basil are high in Vitamin K. Basil has 305% more Vitamin K than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and basil has 414.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Romaine lettuce has more thiamin, however, basil contains more niacin. Both basil and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Basil | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.034 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.076 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Niacin | 0.902 MG | 0.313 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.209 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.155 MG | 0.074 MG |
| Folate | 68 UG | 136 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Basil is an excellent source of calcium and it has 436% more calcium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
iron
Basil is an excellent source of iron and it has 227% more iron than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both romaine lettuce and basil are high in potassium. Basil has 19% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium per 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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 basil and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Basil | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3142 UG | 5226 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5650 UG | 2312 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, basil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.
| Basil | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.316 G | 0.113 G |
| Total | 0.316 G | 0.113 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both basil and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Basil | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.073 G | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.073 G | 0.047 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: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .
Basil g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Romaine Lettuce 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 romaine lettuce or basil contain more calories in 100 grams?Romaine lettuce and basil contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and basil has 23 calories.
Is romaine lettuce or basil better for protein?
Basil has 160% more protein than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.
Does romaine lettuce or basil have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both romaine lettuce and basil are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates. the carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar, whereas the carbs in basil comprise of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar.
Does romaine lettuce or basil contain more calcium?
Basil is a rich source of calcium and it has 440% more calcium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium in 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.
Does romaine lettuce or basil contain more iron?
Basil is an abundant source of iron and it has 230% more iron than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron in 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.
Does romaine lettuce or basil contain more potassium?
Both romaine lettuce and basil are high in potassium. Basil has 20% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium in 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.