Alfalfa Sprouts vs. Leeks
Nutrition comparison of Alfalfa Sprouts and Leeks
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
alfalfa sprouts
versus
leeks
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in alfalfa sprouts and leeks:
- Alfalfa sprout has 5.7 times less carbohydrates than leek.
- Alfalfa sprout has 62% less calories than leek.
- Alfalfa sprout has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, leek contains more Vitamin B6.
- Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than alfalfa sprout.
- Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Alfalfa Sprouts (Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Alfalfa sprout has 62% less calories than leek - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories per 100 grams and leek has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, alfalfa sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to leeks per calorie. Alfalfa sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 53:29:18 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 53% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 29% | 86% |
| Fat | 18% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Alfalfa sprout has 5.7 times less carbohydrates than leek - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and leek has 14.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Alfalfa sprouts and leeks contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - alfalfa sprout has 1.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Alfalfa sprouts and leeks contain similar amounts of sugar - alfalfa sprout has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and leek has 3.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Alfalfa sprout has 166% more protein than leek - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and leek has 1.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both alfalfa sprouts and leeks are low in saturated fat - alfalfa sprout has 0.07g of saturated fat per 100 grams and leek has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Leek has 46% more Vitamin C than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and leek has 12mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Leek has signficantly more Vitamin A than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 8ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and leek has 83ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Alfalfa sprouts and leeks contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - alfalfa sprout has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Alfalfa sprouts and leeks contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - alfalfa sprout has 30.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and leek has 47ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Alfalfa sprout has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, leek contains more Vitamin B6. Both alfalfa sprouts and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.076 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.126 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.481 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.563 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.034 MG | 0.233 MG |
| Folate | 36 UG | 64 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 84% more calcium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 32mg of calcium per 100 grams and leek has 59mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 119% more iron than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 0.96mg of iron per 100 grams and leek has 2.1mg of iron.
potassium
Leek has 128% more potassium than alfalfa sprout - alfalfa sprout has 79mg of potassium per 100 grams and leek has 180mg 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 sprout has more quercetin than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more kaempferol and myricetin than alfalfa sprout per 100 grams.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 1.7 mg | 0.09 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 2.67 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.22 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 Sprouts | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 87 UG | 1000 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 6 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 1900 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both alfalfa sprouts and leeks contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.175 G | 0.099 G |
| Total | 0.175 G | 0.099 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, alfalfa sprout has more linoleic acid than leek per 100 grams.
| Alfalfa Sprouts | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.234 G | 0.067 G |
| Total | 0.234 G | 0.067 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 Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) .
Alfalfa Sprouts g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Leeks 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 alfalfa sprouts or leeks contain more calories in 100 grams?Alfalfa sprout has 60% less calories than leek - alfalfa sprout has 23 calories in 100g and leek has 61 calories.
Is alfalfa sprouts or leeks better for protein?
Alfalfa sprout has 170% more protein than leek - alfalfa sprout has 4g of protein per 100 grams and leek has 1.5g of protein.
Does alfalfa sprouts or leeks have more carbohydrates?
By weight, alfalfa sprout has 5.7 times fewer carbohydrates than leek - alfalfa sprout has 2.1g of carbs for 100g and leek has 14.2g of carbohydrates.