Leeks vs. Romaine Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Leeks and Romaine Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
leeks
versus
romaine lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in leeks and romaine lettuce:
- Leek has more Vitamin B6, however, romaine lettuce contains more folate.
- Leek is a great source of calcium and iron.
- Romaine lettuce has 3.3 times less carbohydrates than leek.
- Romaine lettuce has 72% less calories than leek.
- Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and potassium.
- Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Romaine lettuce has 72% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, leeks is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to romaine lettuce per calorie. Leeks has a macronutrient ratio of 9:86:5 and for romaine lettuce, 26:65:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Leeks | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 65% |
| Fat | 5% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Romaine lettuce has 3.3 times less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Leeks and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and romaine lettuce are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Leek has 200% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 425% more Vitamin A than leek - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Romaine lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 118% more Vitamin K than leek - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Leek has more Vitamin B6, however, romaine lettuce contains more folate. Both leeks and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Leeks | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.06 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 0.313 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.14 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.233 MG | 0.074 MG |
| Folate | 64 UG | 136 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Leek is a great source of calcium and it has 79% more calcium than romaine lettuce - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 116% more iron than romaine lettuce - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Romaine lettuce is a great source of potassium and it has 37% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg 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 romaine lettuce per 100 grams, however, romaine lettuce contains more quercetin than leek per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 2.67 mg | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | 0.22 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.09 mg | 2.2 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.05 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 leeks and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Leeks | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1000 UG | 5226 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1900 UG | 2312 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both leeks and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Leeks | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.099 G | 0.113 G |
| Total | 0.099 G | 0.113 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both leeks and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Leeks | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.067 G | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.067 G | 0.047 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: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .
Leeks g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Romaine Lettuce 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 romaine lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?Romaine lettuce has 70% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.
Does leeks or romaine lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, romaine lettuce has 3.3 times fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates.