Leeks vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Leeks and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
leeks
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in leeks and zucchini:
- Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than zucchini.
- Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
- Zucchini has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than leek.
- Zucchini has 72% less calories than leek.
- Zucchini has more riboflavin, however, leek contains more folate.
- Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Zucchini has 72% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and zucchini has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, leeks is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to zucchini for fat. Leeks has a macronutrient ratio of 11:89:0 and for zucchini, 25:75:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Leeks | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 89% | 75% |
| Fat | ~ | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Zucchini has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Leek has 80% more dietary fiber than zucchini - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and zucchini contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and zucchini has 2.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and zucchini contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and zucchini has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and zucchini are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 49% more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than zucchini - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Leek has 993% more Vitamin K than zucchini - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Zucchini has more riboflavin, however, leek contains more folate. Both leeks and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Leeks | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.06 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.14 MG | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.233 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 64 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 269% more calcium than zucchini - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and zucchini has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 468% more iron than zucchini - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.37mg of iron.
potassium
Zucchini is a great source of potassium and it has 45% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and zucchini has 261mg 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, leek has more kaempferol and myricetin than zucchini per 100 grams, however, zucchini contains more quercetin than leek per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 2.67 mg | ~ |
| myricetin | 0.22 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.09 mg | 0.66 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 leeks and zucchini contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Leeks | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1000 UG | 120 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1900 UG | 2125 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both leeks and zucchini contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Leeks | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.099 G | 0.061 G |
| Total | 0.099 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, leek has more linoleic acid than zucchini per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.067 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.067 G | 0.031 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.
Leeks g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Zucchini 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 leeks or zucchini contain more calories in 100 grams?Zucchini has 70% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and zucchini has 17 calories.
Does leeks or zucchini have more carbohydrates?
By weight, zucchini has 3.5 times fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates.