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Dill vs. Parsley — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan by Ani Harutyunyan | Last updated on February 28, 2023
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel Article author photo Igor Bussel
Dill
vs
Parsley

Summary

Dill is richer in manganese, calcium, potassium, and B-complex vitamins. However, parsley is higher in vitamin C. Parsley covers the DV of calcium 53% more than dill. Dill is richer in carbs and calories. Parsley provides more dietary fiber

Introduction

This article compares two herbs - dill (1) and parsley (2)- regarding nutritional differences and health impact

Actual differences

Parsley and dill are nutritious herbs that differ in taste and appearance. Parsley is a leafy herb, while dill has soft leaves on slender stems. Parsley has a mild, bitter flavor, dill has a sweet, grassy taste

Both are used as fresh herbs or dried spices. Dill is often paired with potatoes, fish, and yogurt-based sauces. 

Nutrition

This section will compare nutrients in 100g amounts of dill and parsley. Check the infographics below for the visual representation of the distribution of nutrients. 

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Dill
4
3% 7% 86% 2%
Protein: 3.46 g
Fats: 1.12 g
Carbs: 7.02 g
Water: 85.95 g
Other: 2.45 g
3% 6% 88% 2%
Protein: 2.97 g
Fats: 0.79 g
Carbs: 6.33 g
Water: 87.71 g
Other: 2.2 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +16.5%
Contains more FatsFats +41.8%
Contains more OtherOther +11.4%
~equal in Carbs ~6.33g
~equal in Water ~87.71g
 

Calories

Dill and parsley are classified as low-calorie foods. Dill contains 43 calories per 100g, while the same amount of parsley provides 36 calories

Fats

Dill and parsley are plant food products. Hence, they contain neglectable amounts of fats. However, dill is slightly higher in fats than parsley. 

Both herbs do not contain any amounts of cholesterol. 

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Dill
2
6% 84% 10%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.06 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.802 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.095 g
24% 54% 23%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.132 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.295 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.124 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -54.5%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +171.9%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +30.5%
 

Carbs

Dill and parsley are low-carb foods. Dill is one gram richer in carbs than parsley. 

Parsley contains more fiber than dill: it provides 3.3g of dietary fiber compared to 2.1g in dill. Parsley contains small amounts of sugars, but dill does not contain any quantities. 

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Protein 

Dill and parsley have small amounts of protein. Dill is a little higher in proteins than parsley. 

Vitamins

The vitamin content of parsley is higher.

Parsley is higher in vitamins C and A, while dill provides more B-complex vitamins. Parsley contains vitamins K and E. Dill does not provide any amounts of those vitamins. 

Dill covers 62% of the DV of vitamin B2.

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.
Dill
3
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 283% 463% 0% 0% 15% 68% 29% 24% 43% 0% 0% 113% 0%
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 443% 505% 15% 0% 22% 23% 25% 24% 21% 0% 4100% 114% 7%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +202%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +19.6%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +105.6%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +56.5%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +48.3%
~equal in Vitamin A ~8424IU
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.4mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Folate ~152µg
 

Minerals

Dill is the winner in this section. 

Dill is higher in calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Parsley is higher in zinc. Parsley covers 50% of the DV of copper.

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.
Dill
4
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 39% 62% 65% 247% 49% 25% 28% 8% 165% 0%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 36% 41% 49% 233% 50% 29% 25% 7.3% 21% 0.55%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +50.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +33.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +13.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +690%
Contains more ZincZinc +17.6%
~equal in Magnesium ~50mg
~equal in Iron ~6.2mg
~equal in Copper ~0.149mg
~equal in Sodium ~56mg
  

Glycemic index

Dill and parsley are classified as low-GI foods. However, parsley’s GI is two times higherparsley’s GI equals 32, while dill’s GI is 15

Check our glycemic index chart page for more information about the GI of other foods. 

Health impact

Cardiovascular health

Dill and parsley may have beneficial effects on your cardiovascular system by providing different compounds to improve your health. 

Parsley contains high amounts of folate - vitamin B9, that can reduce the risk of heart disease in the human population (3). It lowers the levels of amino acid homocysteine, which harms cardiovascular health (4). 

Flavonoids found in dill have potentially beneficial effects on heart health due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (5). An animal study shows that dill extracts have cholesterol and triglyceride level-lowering effects, but more studies are required to confirm these results (6). 

Cancer

Dill and parsley have different chemicals that show anticancer properties. 

Dill is rich in monoterpenes, especially in d-limonene. That is a type of monoterpene that can potentially prevent the development of breast, colon, and lung cancer (7) (8) (9).

Myricetin and apigenin are some of the flavonoids parsley produces. They have shown anticancer properties in animal test-tube studies (10) (11).

Bone health

Minerals and vitamins present in dill and parsley are valuable for maintaining healthy bones.

Dill is rich in magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus - essential minerals for bones (12). 

Parsley is packed with vitamin K. It is important for osteoblasts - cells that are essential for bone growth and density (13). 

References

  1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172233/nutrients 
  2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170416/nutrients 
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20395608/ 
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20937919/ 
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29072172/
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5088306/ 
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5894671/ 
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23117412/ 
  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23554130/ 
  10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25738871/
  11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24818105/ 
  12.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330619/
  13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30050932/ 
Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan
Education: General Medicine at YSMU
Last updated: February 28, 2023
Medically reviewed by Igor Bussel

Infographic

Dill vs Parsley infographic
Infographic link

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Dill Parsley Opinion
Calories 43kcal 36kcal Dill
Protein 3.46g 2.97g Dill
Fats 1.12g 0.79g Dill
Vitamin C 85mg 133mg Parsley
Net carbs 4.92g 3.03g Dill
Carbs 7.02g 6.33g Dill
Magnesium 55mg 50mg Dill
Calcium 208mg 138mg Dill
Potassium 738mg 554mg Dill
Iron 6.59mg 6.2mg Dill
Sugar 0.85g Dill
Fiber 2.1g 3.3g Parsley
Copper 0.146mg 0.149mg Parsley
Zinc 0.91mg 1.07mg Parsley
Phosphorus 66mg 58mg Dill
Sodium 61mg 56mg Parsley
Vitamin A 7718IU 8424IU Parsley
Vitamin A 386µg 421µg Parsley
Vitamin E 0.75mg Parsley
Manganese 1.264mg 0.16mg Dill
Selenium 0.1µg Parsley
Vitamin B1 0.058mg 0.086mg Parsley
Vitamin B2 0.296mg 0.098mg Dill
Vitamin B3 1.57mg 1.313mg Dill
Vitamin B5 0.397mg 0.4mg Parsley
Vitamin B6 0.185mg 0.09mg Dill
Vitamin K 1640µg Parsley
Folate 150µg 152µg Parsley
Choline 12.8mg Parsley
Saturated Fat 0.06g 0.132g Dill
Monounsaturated Fat 0.802g 0.295g Dill
Polyunsaturated fat 0.095g 0.124g Parsley
Tryptophan 0.014mg 0.045mg Parsley
Threonine 0.068mg 0.122mg Parsley
Isoleucine 0.195mg 0.118mg Dill
Leucine 0.159mg 0.204mg Parsley
Lysine 0.246mg 0.181mg Dill
Methionine 0.011mg 0.042mg Parsley
Phenylalanine 0.065mg 0.145mg Parsley
Valine 0.154mg 0.172mg Parsley
Histidine 0.071mg 0.061mg Dill

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Dill Parsley
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
80%
Dill
408%
Parsley
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
69%
Dill
49%
Parsley

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Parsley
Parsley contains less Sodium (difference - 5mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Parsley
Parsley is cheaper (difference - $1.7)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Parsley
Parsley is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Dill
Dill is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.85g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Dill
Dill is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.072g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Dill
Dill is lower in glycemic index (difference - 17)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Dill
Dill is relatively richer in minerals
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. Dill - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172233/nutrients
  2. Parsley - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170416/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.