Onion (yellow)

Zoom on carbohydrates

• Raw yellow onions provide a significant amount of carbohydrates (6.39 g per 100 g), which is higher than the average quantity of carbohydrates found in raw vegetables (4.45 g per 100 g)
• Raw yellow onion is “sugar-free*” as it contains less than 0.5 g per 100 g, i.e. 0.2 g.

Zoom on fibres

• Raw yellow onion provides a significant amount of fibre (2.60 g per 100 g).
• This amount is higher than the average amount found in raw vegetables (2.43 g per 100 g).

Zoom on proteins

• The amount of protein in raw yellow onion (1.19 g per 100 g) is lower than the average amount present in raw vegetables (1.87 g per 100 g).

Zoom on lipids

• Raw onion is fat-free* as it contains less than 0.5 g per 100 g.

* Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. 

Zoom on minerals and trace elements

• Raw yellow onion provides the equivalent of 7.50% of DRVs for potassium, i.e. 150 mg per 100 g.
• The quantity of other minerals and trace elements represents less than 5% of DRVs.

Zoom on vitamins

• Raw yellow onion provides the equivalent of:
  • 6.50% of DRVs for vitamin B9, i.e. 13 µg per 100 g;
  • 4.57% of DRVs for vitamin B6, i.e. 0.06 mg per 100 g.
• The amount of other vitamins is less than 3% of DRVs.

Zoom on polyphenols

• Polyphenols are substances with an antioxidant effect.
• Flavonols, being part of the flavonoids, are predominantly present in raw yellow onion composites, representing 98.41% of the total polyphenols identified.
• Hydroxybenzoic acids represent only 1.59% of the total polyphenols.

The following values are approximate and depend on variety, season, ripeness, cultivation conditions, etc.

Sautéed white or yellow onions provide on average 40.20 kcal per 100 g, i.e. 169 kJ. The size of the onion varies according to the cultivar, but on average a large onion is considered to weigh about 100 g. 

COMPOSITION TABLES 

For each nutrient, the tables provide information on the content, minimum and maximum values, as well as the percentage of the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) per 100 g net of cooked (sautéed/fried, without fat) white or yellow onion (except for the polyphenol table which is only for sautéed white onion).

Zoom on carbohydrates

• Sautéed white or yellow onions provide a higher amount of carbohydrates (6.73 g per 100 g) than the average amount found in cooked vegetables (4.85 g per 100 g).
• Cooked yellow onions are low in sugar* as they contain no more than 5 g per 100 g.

Zoom on fibres

• Sautéed white or yellow onions provide a significant amount of fibre (2.80 g per 100 g), almost equal to the average amount of fibre in cooked vegetables (2.89 g per 100 g).

Zoom on proteins

• The amount of protein in sautéed white or yellow onion (1.56 g per 100 g) is lower than the average amount present in cooked vegetables (2 g per 100 g).

Zoom on lipids

• Cooked yellow onion is fat-free* as it contains less than 0.5 g per 100 g.

* Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods. 

Zoom on minerals and trace elements

• Sautéed white or yellow onions provide a significant amount of potassium, equivalent to 13.50% of DRVs, i.e. 270 mg per 100 g.
• They also provide the equivalent of:
  • 8% of DRVs for copper, i.e. 0.08 mg per 100 g;
  • 6.50% of DRVs for manganese, i.e. 0.13 mg per 100 g.
• The quantity of other minerals and trace elements represents less than 6% of DRVs.

Zoom on vitamins

• Sautéed white or yellow onion provides the equivalent of:
  • 4.71% of DRVs for vitamin B6, i.e. 0.066 mg per 100 g;
  • 4% of DRVs for vitamin B5, i.e. 0.24 mg per 100 g.
• The amount of other vitamins is less than 4% of DRVs.

Zoom on polyphenols

• Polyphenols are substances with an antioxidant effect.
• Flavonols are the only phenolic compounds contained in sautéed white or yellow onion according to the chromatographic extraction method after hydrolysis.

According to the definitions of nutrition claims as set out in Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims, and in view of the composition of sautéed yellow onion, the following claims may be used:

NUTRITION CLAIMS OF SAUTEED YELLOW ONION

• Low in sugar (100 g of cooked yellow onion contain no more than 5 g of sugars)
• Fat-free (100 g of cooked yellow onion contain no more than 0.5 g of fat)