Cauliflower vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Cauliflower and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cauliflower
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cauliflower and onion:
- Cauliflower has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Cauliflower is a great source of potassium.
- Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of calories - cauliflower has 25 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cauliflower is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Cauliflower has a macronutrient ratio of 26:66:8 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cauliflower | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 66% | 87% |
| Fat | 8% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - cauliflower has 5g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - cauliflower has 2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - cauliflower has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of protein - cauliflower has 1.9g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cauliflower and onion are low in saturated fat - cauliflower has 0.13g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 551% more Vitamin C than onion - cauliflower has 48.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Onion and cauliflower contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - onion has 0.6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cauliflower does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cauliflower has 0.08mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cauliflower has 15.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cauliflower has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both cauliflower and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Cauliflower | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.05 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.507 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.667 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.184 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 57 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - cauliflower has 22mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of iron - cauliflower has 0.42mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Cauliflower is a great source of potassium and it has 105% more potassium than onion - cauliflower has 299mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, both cauliflower and onion contain significant amounts of kaempferol.
| Cauliflower | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.03 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.09 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.36 mg | 0.65 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.54 mg | 20.3 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 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, both cauliflower and onion contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Cauliflower | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1 UG | 4 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 1 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cauliflower has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Cauliflower | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.015 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.015 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cauliflower and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cauliflower | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.016 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.019 G | 0.013 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: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) .
Cauliflower g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Onion 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 cauliflower or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of calories - cauliflower has 25 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does cauliflower or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cauliflower and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - cauliflower has 5g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.