A Veggie Versus comparison guide
Why the portion changes the comparison
A worked example with almonds and broccoli: compare equal weights, then compare the amounts you might actually put on a plate.
Two valid questions, two different results
Comparing 100 g of almonds with 100 g of broccoli tells you what equal edible weights contain. That is useful for checking a database or scaling a recipe. It does not tell you what your snack or side dish contains unless those are the amounts you eat.
Here are two comparisons using the same records: raw almonds and raw broccoli. Only the weights change. The 30 g and 150 g examples are chosen to demonstrate the arithmetic; they are not official serving sizes.
First, hold weight constant
| Nutrient | Almonds · 100 g | Broccoli · 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 579 kcal | 34 kcal |
| Protein | 21.2 g | 2.82 g |
| Fibre | 12.5 g | 2.6 g |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 89.2 mg |
At equal weight, the almonds supply more protein and fibre. The broccoli supplies more vitamin C. Neither statement alone establishes which food belongs in a particular meal: the table has no information about the rest of that meal, preferences, allergies or cost.
Then compare an example snack and side dish
| Nutrient | Almonds · 30 g | Broccoli · 150 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 174 kcal | 51 kcal |
| Protein | 6.36 g | 4.23 g |
| Fibre | 3.75 g | 3.9 g |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 133.8 mg |
The fibre ordering reverses at these weights. That happens because a smaller portion of a food with more fibre per 100 g can contain less total fibre than a larger portion of another food. The protein difference also narrows. The foods have not changed; the question has.
Reproduce the calculation
For every nutrient, multiply its per-100-g value by the edible weight and divide by 100. For almonds, 21.2 g protein × 30 ÷ 100 gives 6.36 g protein. Calculations use the source precision before rounding the result.
Weigh the part you will eat. Shells, peel you discard and packaging should not be included. If the food is cooked, select a cooked record rather than scaling a raw one and assuming the result is equivalent. Absorbed or lost water can change the nutrient amount per 100 g.
Use the result in a real decision
Start with the quantity your recipe uses, then compare the nutrient relevant to your question. If you are choosing a crunchy topping, compare plausible topping weights on both sides. If you are planning a vegetable side, compare the weights for that role. An equal-weight sort is a starting point, not a universal answer.
The table also has limits: USDA records describe foods sampled or compiled for that record, not your specific packet or broccoli head. Numbers are estimates for comparison. They do not describe how much of each nutrient your body will absorb.
Try these portions in the comparison tool →
Sources & calculation notes
USDA SR Legacy, final release April 2018. Calculations and interpretation prepared for Veggie Versus with AI assistance; no laboratory testing or clinical review is claimed. Full method · Suggest a correction