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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of leeks and zucchini is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

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.


Image of Leeks src
Image of Zucchini src

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, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Leeks has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:4 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Leeks Zucchini
Protein 9% 24%
Carbohydrates 87% 62%
Fat 4% 14%
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 weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Leeks or Zucchini .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) .

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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.