Leeks vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Leeks and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
leeks
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in leeks and squash:
- Both leeks and squash are high in calcium.
- Leek is a great source of iron.
- Squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than leek, however, leek contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash.
- Squash has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, leek contains more folate.
- Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
- Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Squash has 34% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, leeks is lighter in carbs and similar to squash for protein and fat. Leeks has a macronutrient ratio of 9:86:5 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Leeks | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 91% |
| Fat | 5% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Leeks and squash contain similar amounts of carbs - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 78% more dietary fiber than leek - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and squash contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and squash contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and squash are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 26% more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 572% more Vitamin A than leek - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and squash has 558ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Leek has 46 times more Vitamin K than squash - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and squash has 1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Squash has more niacin and pantothenic acid, however, leek contains more folate. Both leeks and squash contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Leeks | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.06 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.14 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.233 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 64 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both leeks and squash are high in calcium. Leek has 44% more calcium than squash - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 250% more iron than squash - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Squash is a great source of potassium and it has 58% more potassium than leek - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg 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, squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1000 UG | 4570 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1900 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, leek has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than squash per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.099 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.099 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, leek has more linoleic acid than squash per 100 grams.
| Leeks | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.067 G | 0.014 G |
| Total | 0.067 G | 0.014 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.
Leeks g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 squash contain more calories in 100 grams?Squash has 30% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.
Does leeks or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, leeks and squash contain similar amounts of carbs - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
Does leeks or squash contain more calcium?
Both leeks and squash are high in calcium. Leek has 40% more calcium than squash - leek has 59mg of calcium in 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.