Carrots vs. Leeks
Nutrition comparison of Carrots and Leeks
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
carrots
versus
leeks
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in carrots and leeks:
- Carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than leek, however, leek contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot.
- Carrot has more niacin, however, leek contains more folate.
- Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
- Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Carrots (Carrots, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Carrot has 33% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, carrots is similar to leeks for protein, carbs and fat. Carrots has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:5 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Carrots | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 86% |
| Fat | 5% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Leeks and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 56% more dietary fiber than leek - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and carrots contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and carrots contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and carrots are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Leek has 103% more Vitamin C than carrot - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 906% more Vitamin A than leek - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Leek has 256% more Vitamin K than carrot - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Carrot has more niacin, however, leek contains more folate. Both carrots and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Carrots | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.066 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.273 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.138 MG | 0.233 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 64 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 79% more calcium than carrot - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 600% more iron than carrot - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Carrot is an excellent source of potassium and it has 78% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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, leek has more kaempferol and myricetin than carrot per 100 grams, however, carrot contains more quercetin than leek per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.11 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.24 mg | 2.67 mg |
| myricetin | 0.04 mg | 0.22 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.21 mg | 0.09 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, carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 8285 UG | 1000 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 3477 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 256 UG | 1900 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, leek has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.002 G | 0.099 G |
| Total | 0.002 G | 0.099 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both carrots and leeks contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Carrots | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.1 G | 0.067 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.067 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.
Carrots g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Leeks 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 leeks or carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Carrot has 30% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Does leeks or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, leeks and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
Does leeks or carrots contain more potassium?
Carrot is a rich source of potassium and it has 80% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.