Onion vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Onion and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
onion
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in onion and zucchini:
- Zucchini has 58% less calories than onion.
- Zucchini has 67% less carbohydrates than onion.
- Zucchini has more riboflavin and niacin.
- Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Onion (Onions, raw) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Zucchini has 58% less calories than onion - zucchini has 17 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, onion is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Onion has a macronutrient ratio of 11:87:3 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Onion | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 62% |
| Fat | 3% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Zucchini has 67% less carbohydrates than onion - zucchini has 3.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion has 70% more dietary fiber than zucchini - zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Zucchini and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - zucchini has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Zucchini and onion contain similar amounts of protein - zucchini has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both zucchini and onion are low in saturated fat - zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 142% more Vitamin C than onion - zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Zucchini has more Vitamin A than onion - zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Zucchini and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Zucchini and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Zucchini has more riboflavin and niacin. Both onion and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Onion | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.123 MG | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Zucchini and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - zucchini has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Zucchini and onion contain similar amounts of iron - zucchini has 0.37mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Zucchini is a great source of potassium and it has 79% more potassium than onion - zucchini has 261mg 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,
| Onion | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | ~ |
| isorhamnetin | 5.01 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.65 mg | ~ |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 20.3 mg | 0.66 mg |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, zucchini has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Onion | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.004 G | 0.061 G |
| Total | 0.004 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both onion and zucchini contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Onion | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.013 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.
Onion 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 zucchini or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Zucchini has 60% less calories than onion - zucchini has 17 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does zucchini or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, zucchini has 70% fewer carbohydrates than onion - zucchini has 3.1g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.