Lemon vs. Onion

Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Onion


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

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

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

  • Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Lemon is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon 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: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon src
Image of Onion src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lemon is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to onion for protein. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for onion, 10:88:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lemon Onion
Protein 10% 10%
Carbohydrates 84% 88%
Fat 6% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 65% more dietary fiber than onion - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Lemon is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 616% more Vitamin C than onion - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Onion and lemon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Both lemon and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Lemon Onion
Thiamin 0.04 MG 0.046 MG
Riboflavin 0.02 MG 0.027 MG
Niacin 0.1 MG 0.116 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.19 MG 0.123 MG
Vitamin B6 0.08 MG 0.12 MG
Folate 11 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.

iron

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.

potassium

Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon has 138mg 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, lemon has more luteolin and myricetin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin than lemon per 100 grams.

Lemon Onion
luteolin 1.9 mg 0.02 mg
kaempferol 0.03 mg 0.65 mg
myricetin 0.5 mg 0.03 mg
Quercetin 1.14 mg 20.3 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 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 lemon and onion contain small amounts of beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.

Lemon Onion
beta-carotene 3 UG 1 UG
alpha-carotene 1 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 11 UG 4 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Lemon Onion
alpha linoleic acid 0.026 G 0.004 G
Total 0.026 G 0.004 G

omega 6s

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

Lemon Onion
linoleic acid 0.063 G 0.013 G
Total 0.063 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 Lemon or Onion .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Onion (Onions, raw) .

Lemon 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 lemon or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lemon and onion contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.

Does lemon or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.

Compare Food