Kimchi vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Kimchi and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kimchi
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kimchi and onion:
- Kimchi has 63% less calories than onion.
- Kimchi has 74% less carbohydrates than onion.
- Kimchi is a great source of iron.
- Onion has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, kimchi contains more riboflavin, niacin and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kimchi (Cabbage, kimchi) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kimchi has 63% less calories than onion - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and kimchi has 15 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kimchi is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Kimchi has a macronutrient ratio of 24:51:25 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kimchi | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 51% | 87% |
| Fat | 25% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kimchi has 74% less carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and kimchi has 2.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion and kimchi contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and kimchi has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and kimchi contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and kimchi has 1.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and kimchi contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and kimchi has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and kimchi are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kimchi has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has more Vitamin C than kimchi - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and kimchi does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kimchi and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - kimchi has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and kimchi contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and kimchi has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kimchi has 108 times more Vitamin K than onion - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and kimchi has 43.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Onion has more thiamin and pantothenic acid, however, kimchi contains more riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both kimchi and onion contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Kimchi | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.01 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.21 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 1.1 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | ~ | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.213 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kimchi has 43% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and kimchi has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Kimchi is a great source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and kimchi has 2.5mg of iron.
potassium
Onion and kimchi contain similar amounts of potassium - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and kimchi has 151mg 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,
| Kimchi | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 55 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 49 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kimchi has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Kimchi | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.137 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kimchi has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Kimchi | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.104 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.104 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.
Kimchi 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 onion or kimchi contain more calories in 100 grams?Kimchi has 60% less calories than onion - onion has 40 calories in 100g and kimchi has 15 calories.
Does onion or kimchi have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kimchi has 70% fewer carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and kimchi has 2.4g of carbohydrates.