Alfalfa Sprouts vs. Cabbage

Nutrition comparison of Alfalfa Sprouts and Cabbage

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of alfalfa sprouts versus cabbage (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in alfalfa sprouts and cabbage:

  • Alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than cabbage, however, cabbage contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout.
  • Alfalfa sprout has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, cabbage contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Cabbage is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of alfalfa sprouts and cabbage 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: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Cabbage (Cabbage, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Alfalfa Sprouts src
Image of Cabbage src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of calories - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and cabbage has 25 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, alfalfa sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to cabbage per calorie. Alfalfa sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 52:27:21 and for cabbage, 18:79:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Alfalfa Sprouts Cabbage
Protein 52% 18%
Carbohydrates 27% 79%
Fat 21% 3%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of carbs - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in cabbage comprise of 56% sugar and 44% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Cabbage is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 32% more dietary fiber than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cabbage has 2.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cabbage has 3.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Alfalfa sprout has 212% more protein than cabbage - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and cabbage has 1.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both alfalfa sprouts and cabbage are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 346% more Vitamin C than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cabbage has 36.6mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cabbage has 5ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.15mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cabbage has 149% more Vitamin K than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cabbage has 76ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Alfalfa sprout has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, cabbage contains more Vitamin B6. Both alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.

Alfalfa Sprouts Cabbage
Thiamin 0.076 MG 0.061 MG
Riboflavin 0.126 MG 0.04 MG
Niacin 0.481 MG 0.234 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.563 MG 0.212 MG
Vitamin B6 0.034 MG 0.124 MG
Folate 36 UG 43 UG

Minerals

calcium

Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of calcium - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and cabbage has 40mg of calcium.

iron

Alfalfa sprout has 104% more iron than cabbage - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.47mg of iron.

potassium

Cabbage has 115% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and cabbage has 170mg 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,

Alfalfa Sprouts Cabbage
Quercetin 1.7 mg 0.28 mg
apigenin ~ 0.08 mg
luteolin ~ 0.1 mg
kaempferol ~ 0.18 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, alfalfa sprout has more beta-carotene than cabbage per 100 grams, however, cabbage contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.

Alfalfa Sprouts Cabbage
beta-carotene 87 UG 42 UG
alpha-carotene 6 UG 33 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 30 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more linoleic acid than cabbage per 100 grams.

Alfalfa Sprouts Cabbage
linoleic acid 0.234 G 0.017 G
Total 0.234 G 0.017 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 Alfalfa Sprouts or Cabbage .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Cabbage (Cabbage, raw) .

Alfalfa Sprouts 100g

( 100 g )
Daily Values (%)

Cabbage 100g

( 100 g )
23KCAL 1%
calories 9%
25KCAL 1%
2.1G 1%
carbohydrates 176%
5.8G 2%
1.9G 8%
dietary fiber 32%
2.5G 10%
0.2G sugar >999% 3.2G
0.69G 1%
589% total fat
0.1G 0.2%
0.07G 0.4%
133% saturated fat
0.03G 0.2%
0.06G 199% monounsaturated fat 0.02G
0.41G >999% polyunsaturated fat 0.02G
6MG 0.4%
sodium 200%
18MG 1%
Vitamins and Minerals
8UG 1%
60% Vitamin A
5UG 1%
8.2MG 11%
Vitamin C 351%
37MG 49%
32MG 3%
calcium 25%
40MG 4%
0.96MG 5%
104% iron
0.47MG 3%
27MG 9%
125% magnesium
12MG 4%
79MG 3%
potassium 115%
170MG 7%
0.08MG 7%
33% thiamin (Vit B1)
0.06MG 6%
0.13MG 12%
224% riboflavin (Vit B2)
0.04MG 4%
0.48MG 3%
109% niacin (Vit B3)
0.23MG 2%
0.03MG 3%
Vitamin B6 299%
0.12MG 10%
0.56MG 11%
167% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.21MG 4%
36UG 9%
folate (Vit B9) 19%
43UG 11%
0.02MG 0.1%
Vitamin E 647%
0.15MG 1%
31UG 34%
Vitamin K 145%
76UG 84%
4G 8%
208% protein
1.3G 3%
14MG 3%
27% choline
11MG 3%
0.16MG 13%
697% copper
0.02MG 2%
fluoride >999%
0.19MG 10%
19% manganese
0.16MG 9%
70MG 10%
169% phosphorus
26MG 4%
0.6UG 1%
100% selenium
0.3UG 1%
0.92MG 12%
411% zinc
0.18MG 2%
93G 1% Water 92G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Starch, Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol, trans fat.

FAQ

Does alfalfa sprouts or cabbage contain more calories in 100 grams?
Alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of calories - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and cabbage has 25 calories.

Is alfalfa sprouts or cabbage better for protein?
Alfalfa sprout has 210% more protein than cabbage - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and cabbage has 1.3g of protein.

Does alfalfa sprouts or cabbage have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprouts and cabbage contain similar amounts of carbs - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in cabbage comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.