Onion vs. Russet Potato
Nutrition comparison of Onion and Russet Potato
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
onion
versus
russet potato
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in onion and russet potato:
- Russet potato has more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Russet potato is an excellent source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Onion (Onions, raw) and Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Onion has 49% less calories than russet potato - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and russet potato has 79 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, onion is similar to russet potato for protein, carbs and fat. Onion has a macronutrient ratio of 11:87:3 and for russet potato, 11:89:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Onion | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 89% |
| Fat | 3% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion has 48% less carbohydrates than russet potato - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion and russet potato contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Onion and russet potato contain similar amounts of sugar - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and russet potato contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and russet potato has 2.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and russet potato are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and russet potato has 5.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Russet potato and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - russet potato has 0.3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Onion and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Russet potato has more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both onion and russet potato contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
| Onion | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.082 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 1.035 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.123 MG | 0.301 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 MG | 0.345 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 14 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion has 77% more calcium than russet potato - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and russet potato has 13mg of calcium.
iron
Russet potato has 310% more iron than onion - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.
potassium
Russet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 186% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium per 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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 onion and russet potato contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Onion | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4 UG | 5 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both onion and russet potato contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Onion | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.004 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.004 G | 0.01 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both onion and russet potato contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Onion | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.032 G |
| Total | 0.013 G | 0.032 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: Onion (Onions, raw) and Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .
Onion g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Russet Potato 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 onion or russet potato contain more calories in 100 grams?Onion has 50% less calories than russet potato - onion has 40 calories in 100g and russet potato has 79 calories.
Does onion or russet potato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion has 50% fewer carbohydrates than russet potato - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or russet potato contain more potassium?
Russet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 190% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium in 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.