Asparagus Nutrition facts
Asparagus
Asparagus is a tender shoot (spear) vegetable that emerges out from the underground rhizome network. They are quite popular as a flavorful spring season delicacies. Their food use was well-known to ancient Greeks and Romans who admired their delicacy. One of the oldest recorded vegetables, it is thought to have originated in the coastal areas of eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor regions.
Botanically, asparagus is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Asparagaceae family. It is closely related to the Liliaceae plants which also include onion, garlic, tulip, daffodil…etc. Scientific name: A. officinalis. This spear vegetable is grown extensively today as a major commercial crop in China, Europe, Peru, Australia, and the USA.
Asparagus crowns planted in early spring. It grows into tall, branched stems, bearing fine fern-like green needles (phylloclades); giving the whole plant an overall feathery appearance. The fresh crop can also be established by direct seeding or through transplanting 10-12 week-old seedlings.
| Nutrition Principle | Nutrition Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Principle | ||
| Energy | 20 Kcal | 1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.38 g | 2.5% |
| Protein | 2.20 g | 4% |
| Total Fat | 0.12 g | 0.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.1 g | 5.5% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 52 µg | 13% |
| Niacin | 0.978 mg | 6% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 mg | 5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.091 mg | 7% |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 mg | 11% |
| Thiamin | 0.143 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 5.6 mg | 9% |
| Vitamin-A | 756 IU | 25% |
| Vitamin E | 1.13 mg | 7.5% |
| Vitamin K | 41.6 µg | 35% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 2 mg | <1% |
| Potassium | 202 mg | 4% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 24 mg | 2.5% |
| Copper | 0.189 mg | 21% |
| Iron | 1.14 mg | 14% |
| Magnesium | 14 mg | 1% |
| Manganese | 0.158 mg | 7% |
| Phosphorus | 52 mg | 7.5% |
| Selenium | 2.3 µg | 4% |
| Zinc | 0.54 mg | 5% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 449 µg | -- |
| Carotene-α | 9 µg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 710 µg | -- |