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Chives vs. Onion — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan by Ani Harutyunyan | Last updated on October 28, 2022
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel Article author photo Igor Bussel
Chives
vs
Onion

Summary

Chives are higher in vitamin C and copper. They are more than eight times higher in vitamin C. Onions provide two times more carbs than Chives. Onions are also lower in proteins.

Introduction

This article will compare Chives and Onion, focusing on their nutritional content and health impact. Here we will discuss the differences between raw chives (1) and raw onion (2).

Macronutrients

Although Onion and Chives contain more than 90% water, the distribution of macronutrients differs. The amounts of the nutrients they give are compared below.

Calories

Chives and Onions are low-calorie foods because they are vegetables. However, Onion is higher in calories than Chives: it provides ten calories more.

Carbs

Both Onion and Chives are low in carbs. However, in terms of carbs, Onion is more than two times higher compared to Chives.

Chives are lower in net carbs: 100g has 1.9g of net carbs, while the same amount of Onion contains 7.6g.

Fiber

Chives are higher in fiber than Onion. They provide 2.5g of fiber per 100g. Chives are significantly richer in soluble fiber.

Protein

Chives and Onion are plant food products. Hence, they do not provide much protein. Still, Chives are three times higher in proteins than Onion.

Vitamins

Both Onion and Chives are rich in different vitamins, but in general, Chives are higher in vitamins.

Chives are an excellent source of vitamin C, A, and K: they are more than eight times higher in vitamin C (58.1mg per 100g) than Onions (7.4mg per 100g).

You can check the vitamin composition of these foods in the chart below.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Chives
10
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 194% 261% 4.2% 0% 20% 27% 12% 19% 32% 0% 532% 79% 2.8%
Onion
1
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 25% 0.12% 0.4% 0% 12% 6.2% 2.2% 7.4% 28% 0% 1% 14% 3.3%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +685.1%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +217550%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E +950%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +69.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +325.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +457.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +163.4%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +15%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +53075%
Contains more FolateFolate +452.6%
Contains more CholineCholine +17.3%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Chives are the champions in this section. They are higher in calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and copper.

Chives are approximately five times higher in copper than Onion.

You can check these two vegetables' mineral compositions in the chart below.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Chives
10
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 30% 28% 26% 60% 52% 15% 25% 0.39% 49% 4.9%
Onion
0
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 7.1% 6.9% 13% 7.9% 13% 4.6% 12% 0.52% 17% 2.7%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +320%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +300%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +102.7%
Contains more IronIron +661.9%
Contains more CopperCopper +302.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +229.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +100%
Contains less SodiumSodium -25%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +189.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +80%

Health impact

Anticancer protection

The anticancer properties of Onions and Chives are mostly linked with sulfur-containing compounds. For instance, Onion provides onionin A, a sulfur-containing chemical that decreases tumor development and inhibits the spread of lung and ovarian cancers (3) (4).

Bone health

Onions and Chieves can help boost bone health.

Onions reduce oxidative stress and decrease bone loss, thus preventing osteoporosis and improving bone density (5). Chives boost bone health by their vitamin K content because vitamin K supplements prevent osteoporosis.

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan
Education: General Medicine at YSMU
Last updated: October 28, 2022
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel

Infographic

Chives vs Onion infographic
Infographic link

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Chives
4
3% 4% 91%
Protein: 3.27 g
Fats: 0.73 g
Carbs: 4.35 g
Water: 90.65 g
Other: 1 g
Onion
1
9% 89%
Protein: 1.1 g
Fats: 0.1 g
Carbs: 9.34 g
Water: 89.11 g
Other: 0.35 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +197.3%
Contains more FatsFats +630%
Contains more OtherOther +185.7%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +114.7%
~equal in Water ~89.11g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Chives
2
29% 19% 53%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.146 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.095 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.267 g
Onion
1
58% 18% 24%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.042 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.013 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.017 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +630.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1470.6%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -71.2%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Chives Onion
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Chives Onion Opinion
Calories 30kcal 40kcal Onion
Protein 3.27g 1.1g Chives
Fats 0.73g 0.1g Chives
Vitamin C 58.1mg 7.4mg Chives
Net carbs 1.85g 7.64g Onion
Carbs 4.35g 9.34g Onion
Magnesium 42mg 10mg Chives
Calcium 92mg 23mg Chives
Potassium 296mg 146mg Chives
Iron 1.6mg 0.21mg Chives
Sugar 1.85g 4.24g Chives
Fiber 2.5g 1.7g Chives
Copper 0.157mg 0.039mg Chives
Zinc 0.56mg 0.17mg Chives
Phosphorus 58mg 29mg Chives
Sodium 3mg 4mg Chives
Vitamin A 4353IU 2IU Chives
Vitamin A RAE 218µg 0µg Chives
Vitamin E 0.21mg 0.02mg Chives
Manganese 0.373mg 0.129mg Chives
Selenium 0.9µg 0.5µg Chives
Vitamin B1 0.078mg 0.046mg Chives
Vitamin B2 0.115mg 0.027mg Chives
Vitamin B3 0.647mg 0.116mg Chives
Vitamin B5 0.324mg 0.123mg Chives
Vitamin B6 0.138mg 0.12mg Chives
Vitamin K 212.7µg 0.4µg Chives
Folate 105µg 19µg Chives
Choline 5.2mg 6.1mg Onion
Saturated Fat 0.146g 0.042g Onion
Monounsaturated Fat 0.095g 0.013g Chives
Polyunsaturated fat 0.267g 0.017g Chives
Tryptophan 0.037mg 0.014mg Chives
Threonine 0.128mg 0.021mg Chives
Isoleucine 0.139mg 0.014mg Chives
Leucine 0.195mg 0.025mg Chives
Lysine 0.163mg 0.039mg Chives
Methionine 0.036mg 0.002mg Chives
Phenylalanine 0.105mg 0.025mg Chives
Valine 0.145mg 0.021mg Chives
Histidine 0.057mg 0.014mg Chives
Fructose 1.29g Onion

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Chives Onion
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
91%
Chives
8%
Onion
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
29%
Chives
8%
Onion

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Onion
Onion is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.104g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Onion
Onion is lower in glycemic index (difference - 30)
Which food is cheaper?
Onion
Onion is cheaper (difference - $0.2)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Chives
Chives is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.39g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Chives
Chives contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Chives
Chives is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Chives
Chives is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Chives - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169994/nutrients
  2. Onion - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170000/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.