Chili Pepper vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Chili Pepper and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
chili pepper
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chili pepper and onion:
- Chili pepper has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
- Chili pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chili Pepper (Peppers, hot chili, green, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and chili pepper has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chili pepper is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Chili pepper has a macronutrient ratio of 17:79:4 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chili Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 17% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 79% | 87% |
| Fat | 4% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and chili pepper has 9.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chili pepper has 1.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and chili pepper has 5.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and chili pepper has 2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and chili pepper are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chili pepper has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chili pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 31 times more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chili pepper has 242.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Chili pepper has more Vitamin A than onion - chili pepper has 59ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chili pepper has 0.69mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chili pepper has 14.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chili pepper has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both chili pepper and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Chili Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.09 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.09 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.95 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.061 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.278 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 23 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of calcium - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and chili pepper has 18mg of calcium.
iron
Chili pepper has 471% more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and chili pepper has 1.2mg of iron.
potassium
Chili pepper is an excellent source of potassium and it has 133% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and chili pepper has 340mg 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, chili pepper has more apigenin, luteolin and myricetin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more isorhamnetin and kaempferol than chili pepper per 100 grams. Both chili pepper and onion contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Chili Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 1.4 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 3.87 mg | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | 1.2 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 14.7 mg | 20.3 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 0.65 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,
| Chili Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 671 UG | 1 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 23 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 725 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both chili pepper and onion contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Chili Pepper | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chili pepper has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Chili Pepper | 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Chili Pepper (Peppers, hot chili, green, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) .
Chili Pepper 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 chili pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?Onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of calories - onion has 40 calories in 100g and chili pepper has 40 calories.
Does onion or chili pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion and chili pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and chili pepper has 9.5g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or chili pepper contain more potassium?
Chili pepper is a rich source of potassium and it has 130% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium in 100 grams and chili pepper has 340mg of potassium.