Alfalfa Sprouts vs. Cucumber
Nutrition comparison of Alfalfa Sprouts and Cucumber
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
alfalfa sprouts
versus
cucumber
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in alfalfa sprouts and cucumber:
- Alfalfa sprout has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and cucumber has 15 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, alfalfa sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to cucumber per calorie. Alfalfa sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 53:29:18 and for cucumber, 15:80:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 53% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 29% | 80% |
| Fat | 18% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both alfalfa sprouts and cucumber are low in carbohydrates - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Alfalfa sprout has 280% more dietary fiber than cucumber - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cucumber has 1.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Alfalfa sprout has 514% more protein than cucumber - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.65g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and cucumber are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Alfalfa sprout has 193% more Vitamin C than cucumber - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Alfalfa sprout has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.076 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.126 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Niacin | 0.481 MG | 0.098 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.563 MG | 0.259 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.034 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 36 UG | 7 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Alfalfa sprout has 100% more calcium than cucumber - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and cucumber has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Alfalfa sprout has 243% more iron than cucumber - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.28mg of iron.
potassium
Cucumber has 86% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and cucumber has 147mg 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 alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 87 UG | 45 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 6 UG | 11 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 23 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cucumber per 100 grams.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.175 G | 0.005 G |
| Total | 0.175 G | 0.005 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more linoleic acid than cucumber per 100 grams.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.234 G | 0.028 G |
| Total | 0.234 G | 0.028 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: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) .
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cucumber g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 alfalfa sprouts or cucumber contain more calories in 100 grams?Alfalfa sprouts and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and cucumber has 15 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or cucumber better for protein?
Alfalfa sprout has 510% more protein than cucumber - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.65g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or cucumber have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both alfalfa sprouts and cucumber are low in carbohydrates - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in alfalfa sprouts are made of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber.