Asparagus vs. Iceberg Lettuce

Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Iceberg Lettuce


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and iceberg lettuce:

  • Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of asparagus and iceberg lettuce 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: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Asparagus src
Image of Iceberg Lettuce src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to iceberg lettuce for fat. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for iceberg lettuce, 21:72:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Asparagus Iceberg Lettuce
Protein 34% 21%
Carbohydrates 61% 72%
Fat 5% 8%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both asparagus and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in iceberg lettuce comprise of 62% sugar and 38% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both asparagus and iceberg lettuce are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Asparagus has 100% more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain significant amounts of folate.

Asparagus Iceberg Lettuce
Thiamin 0.143 MG 0.041 MG
Riboflavin 0.141 MG 0.025 MG
Niacin 0.978 MG 0.123 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.274 MG 0.091 MG
Vitamin B6 0.091 MG 0.042 MG
Folate 52 UG 29 UG

Minerals

calcium

Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calcium - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium.

iron

Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 422% more iron than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron.

potassium

Asparagus is a great source of potassium and it has 43% more potassium than iceberg lettuce - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 141mg 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,

Asparagus Iceberg Lettuce
isorhamnetin 5.7 mg ~
kaempferol 1.39 mg 0.15 mg
Quercetin 13.98 mg 1.42 mg
apigenin ~ 0.13 mg
luteolin ~ 0.03 mg
myricetin ~ 0.06 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 asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.

Asparagus Iceberg Lettuce
beta-carotene 449 UG 299 UG
alpha-carotene 9 UG 4 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 710 UG 277 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Asparagus Iceberg Lettuce
alpha linoleic acid 0.01 G 0.052 G
Total 0.01 G 0.052 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Asparagus Iceberg Lettuce
linoleic acid 0.04 G 0.021 G
Total 0.04 G 0.021 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: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) .

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FAQ

Does asparagus or iceberg lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.

Is asparagus or iceberg lettuce better for protein?
Asparagus and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.

Does asparagus or iceberg lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both asparagus and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in iceberg lettuce comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.