Onion: nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   Light and mostly water

   Big onion is 85.8 g water per 100 g, with 48 kcal and only 0.2 g fat. A medium onion in a curry adds bulk and sweetness for very few calories.

2. 02

   Natural sugars and fibre

   It carries 9.6 g of carbohydrate, of which 5.9 g are sugars, and 2.5 g of fibre per 100 g. Slow browning turns those sugars golden and sweet.

3. 03

   Folate and vitamin C

   Onion gives 29 micrograms of folate per 100 g, about 10 per cent of a man's daily requirement, and 6.7 mg of vitamin C, 8 per cent. Raw onion keeps more vitamin C than fried.

4. 04

   Low in minerals

   Onion ranks last of 21 spices and herbs for iron, magnesium and potassium, with 0.43 mg, 18 mg and 171 mg per 100 g.

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.

• Bhuna masala: onions fried slowly in oil until deep brown, then cooked with ginger-garlic, tomato and spices as a curry base.
• Laccha pyaz: thin raw onion rings with lemon juice, chilli powder and chaat masala beside kebabs and dal.
• Kanda poha: flattened rice with onion, mustard seeds, curry leaves and peanuts, Maharashtra's breakfast.
• Sambar with small onions: whole peeled shallots simmered in tamarind and toor dal.
• Ulli theeyal: Kerala shallots in a dark gravy of roasted coconut and tamarind.

Onion itself is light, but browned onion soaks up a lot of oil, so the oil in a bhuna masala often adds more calories than the onions. Onions are rich in fructans, a fermentable fibre that can trigger bloating in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Raw onion can worsen heartburn for some. Many Jain households and some Hindu families avoid onion and garlic entirely and season with hing and ginger instead.

Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.

• Garlic

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Spring onion

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Ginger

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Tomato

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Chillies (green and red)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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