Asparagus vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and squash:
- Both asparagus and squash are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Asparagus has 63% less carbohydrates than squash.
- Asparagus has more riboflavin and folate.
- Asparagus is a great source of iron.
- Squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than asparagus, however, asparagus contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash.
- Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and calcium.
- Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus has 50% less calories than squash - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to squash for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 34% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 61% | 91% |
| Fat | 5% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Asparagus has 63% less carbohydrates than squash - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both asparagus and squash are high in dietary fiber. Squash has 52% more dietary fiber than asparagus - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and squash contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and squash contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and squash are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 170% more Vitamin C than asparagus - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 13 times more Vitamin A than asparagus - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and squash has 558ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has 40 times more Vitamin K than squash - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and squash has 1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more riboflavin and folate. Both asparagus and squash contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Asparagus | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Squash is a great source of calcium and it has 71% more calcium than asparagus - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 257% more iron than squash - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Both asparagus and squash are high in potassium. Squash has 41% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg 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, squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than asparagus per 100 grams, however, asparagus contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 4570 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | 1130 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, squash has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and squash contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Asparagus | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.014 G |
| Total | 0.04 G | 0.014 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.
Asparagus g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 asparagus or squash contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus has 50% less calories than squash - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.
Is asparagus or squash better for protein?
Asparagus and squash contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Does asparagus or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, asparagus has 60% fewer carbohydrates than squash - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
Does asparagus or squash contain more potassium?
Both asparagus and squash are high in potassium. Squash has 40% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium in 100 grams and squash has 284mg of potassium.