Garlic vs. Onion

Nutrition comparison of Garlic and Onion


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in garlic and onion:

  • Garlic has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, onion contains more folate.
  • Garlic has signficantly more iron than onion.
  • Garlic is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Garlic is an excellent source of Vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of garlic and onion 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: Garlic (Garlic, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Garlic src
Image of Onion src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between garlic and onion. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Garlic is high in calories and onion has 73% less calories than garlic - garlic has 149 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, garlic is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to onion for fat. Garlic has a macronutrient ratio of 16:82:3 and for onion, 10:88:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Garlic Onion
Protein 16% 10%
Carbohydrates 82% 88%
Fat 3% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Garlic is high in carbohydrates and onion has 72% less carbohydrates than garlic - garlic has 33.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Garlic is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 24% more dietary fiber than onion - garlic has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Garlic and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - garlic has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Garlic has 478% more protein than onion - garlic has 6.4g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both garlic and onion are low in saturated fat - garlic has 0.09g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Garlic is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 322% more Vitamin C than onion - garlic has 31.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Onion and garlic contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - onion has 0.6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and garlic does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Garlic and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - garlic has 0.08mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Garlic and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - garlic has 1.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Garlic has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, onion contains more folate.

Garlic Onion
Thiamin 0.2 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.027 MG
Niacin 0.7 MG 0.116 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.596 MG 0.123 MG
Vitamin B6 1.235 MG 0.12 MG
Folate 3 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Garlic is an excellent source of calcium and it has 687% more calcium than onion - garlic has 181mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.

iron

Garlic has signficantly more iron than onion - garlic has 1.7mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.

potassium

Garlic is an excellent source of potassium and it has 175% more potassium than onion - garlic has 401mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, onion has more kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin than garlic per 100 grams, however, garlic contains more myricetin than onion per 100 grams.

Garlic Onion
kaempferol 0.26 mg 0.65 mg
myricetin 1.61 mg 0.03 mg
Quercetin 1.74 mg 20.3 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
luteolin ~ 0.02 mg
isorhamnetin ~ 5.01 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 garlic and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.

Garlic Onion
beta-carotene 5 UG 1 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 16 UG 4 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Garlic Onion
alpha linoleic acid 0.02 G 0.004 G
Total 0.02 G 0.004 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, garlic has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.

Garlic Onion
linoleic acid 0.229 G 0.013 G
Total 0.229 G 0.013 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Garlic or Onion .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Garlic (Garlic, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) .

Garlic g

()
Daily Values (%)

Onion g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does garlic or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?
Garlic is high in calories and onion has 70% less calories than garlic - garlic has 149 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.

Does garlic or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, garlic is high in carbohydrates and onion has 70% fewer carbohydrates than garlic - garlic has 33.1g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.

Does garlic or onion contain more calcium?
Garlic is a rich source of calcium and it has 690% more calcium than onion - garlic has 181mg of calcium in 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.

Does garlic or onion contain more potassium?
Garlic is a rich source of potassium and it has 180% more potassium than onion - garlic has 401mg of potassium in 100 grams and onion has 146mg of potassium.

Compare Food