Basil vs. Carrots

Nutrition comparison of Basil and Carrots

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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in basil and carrots:

  • Both carrots and basil are high in Vitamin A and potassium.
  • Basil has 14.8 times less sugar than carrot.
  • Basil has 72% less carbohydrates than carrot.
  • Basil has more folate.
  • Basil is a great source of Vitamin C.
  • Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K, calcium and iron.
  • Carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than basil, however, basil contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot.
  • Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of basil and carrots 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: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Basil src
Image of Carrots src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Carrots and basil contain similar amounts of calories - carrot has 41 calories per 100 grams and basil has 23 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, basil is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to carrots per calorie. Basil has a macronutrient ratio of 43:32:24 and for carrots, 9:87:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Basil Carrots
Protein 43% 9%
Carbohydrates 32% 87%
Fat 24% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Basil has 72% less carbohydrates than carrot - carrot has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in carrots are made of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch, whereas the carbs in basil comprise of 84% dietary fiber and 16% sugar.

dietary fiber

Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than basil - carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and basil has 1.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Basil has 14.8 times less sugar than carrot - carrot has 4.7g of sugar per 100 grams and basil has 0.3g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Basil has 239% more protein than carrot - carrot has 0.93g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both carrots and basil are low in saturated fat - carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and basil has 0.04g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Basil is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 205% more Vitamin C than carrot - carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and basil has 18mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both carrots and basil are high in Vitamin A. Carrot has 216% more Vitamin A than basil - carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and basil has 264ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Carrots and basil contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and basil has 0.8mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Basil is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 30 times more Vitamin K than carrot - carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and basil has 414.8ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Basil has more folate. Both basil and carrots contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Basil Carrots
Thiamin 0.034 MG 0.066 MG
Riboflavin 0.076 MG 0.058 MG
Niacin 0.902 MG 0.983 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.209 MG 0.273 MG
Vitamin B6 0.155 MG 0.138 MG
Folate 68 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Basil is an excellent source of calcium and it has 436% more calcium than carrot - carrot has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.

iron

Basil is an excellent source of iron and it has 957% more iron than carrot - carrot has 0.3mg of iron per 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.

potassium

Both carrots and basil are high in potassium. Carrot has a little more potassium (8%) than basil by weight - carrot has 320mg of potassium per 100 grams and basil has 295mg 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, carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than basil per 100 grams, however, basil contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot per 100 grams.

Basil Carrots
beta-carotene 3142 UG 8285 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 5650 UG 256 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 3477 UG
lycopene ~ 1 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, basil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.

Basil Carrots
alpha linoleic acid 0.316 G 0.002 G
Total 0.316 G 0.002 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both basil and carrots contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Basil Carrots
linoleic acid 0.073 G 0.1 G
Total 0.073 G 0.1 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: Basil (Basil, fresh) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) .

Basil 24g

( cup leaves, whole )
Daily Values (%)

Carrots 128g

( cup )
5.5KCAL 0.3%
calories 845%
52KCAL 3%
0.64G 0.3%
carbohydrates >999%
12G 5%
0.38G 2%
dietary fiber 847%
3.6G 14%
0.07G sugar >999% 6.1G
0.15G 0.2%
total fat 107%
0.31G 1%
0.01G 0.1%
saturated fat 297%
0.04G 0.2%
0.02G monounsaturated fat 0.02G
0.09G polyunsaturated fat 44% 0.13G
0.96MG 0.1%
sodium >999%
88MG 6%
Vitamins and Minerals
63UG 9%
Vitamin A >999%
1069UG 153%
4.3MG 6%
Vitamin C 77%
7.6MG 10%
42MG 4%
calcium
42MG 4%
0.76MG 4%
100% iron
0.38MG 2%
15MG 5%
magnesium
15MG 5%
71MG 3%
potassium 477%
410MG 18%
0.01MG 1%
thiamin (Vit B1) 693%
0.08MG 8%
0.02MG 2%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 249%
0.07MG 7%
0.22MG 2%
niacin (Vit B3) 491%
1.3MG 9%
0.04MG 3%
Vitamin B6 349%
0.18MG 14%
0.05MG 1%
pantothenic acid (Vit B5) 599%
0.35MG 7%
16UG 4%
folate (Vit B9) 50%
24UG 6%
0.19MG 1%
Vitamin E 342%
0.84MG 6%
100UG 111%
488% Vitamin K
17UG 19%
0.76G 2%
protein 58%
1.2G 2%
2.7MG 1%
choline 307%
11MG 3%
0.09MG 8%
50% copper
0.06MG 5%
fluoride >999%
4.1UG 0.1%
0.28MG 15%
56% manganese
0.18MG 10%
13MG 2%
phosphorus 246%
45MG 6%
0.07UG 0.1%
selenium 86%
0.13UG 0.2%
0.19MG 2%
zinc 63%
0.31MG 4%
22G Water 414% 113G
Starch >999% 1.8G


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

FAQ

Does carrots or basil contain more calories in 100 grams?
Carrots and basil contain similar amounts of calories - carrot has 41 calories in 100g and basil has 23 calories.

Is carrots or basil better for protein?
Basil has 240% more protein than carrot - carrot has 0.93g of protein per 100 grams and basil has 3.2g of protein.

Does carrots or basil have more carbohydrates?
By weight, basil has 70% fewer carbohydrates than carrot - carrot has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and basil has 2.7g of carbohydrates. the carbs in carrots are made of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch, whereas the carbs in basil comprise of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar.

Does carrots or basil contain more calcium?
Basil is a rich source of calcium and it has 440% more calcium than carrot - carrot has 33mg of calcium in 100 grams and basil has 177mg of calcium.

Does carrots or basil contain more iron?
Basil is an abundant source of iron and it has 960% more iron than carrot - carrot has 0.3mg of iron in 100 grams and basil has 3.2mg of iron.

Does carrots or basil contain more potassium?
Both carrots and basil are high in potassium. Carrot has a little more potassium ( 10%) than basil by weight - carrot has 320mg of potassium in 100 grams and basil has 295mg of potassium.