In this article
- Scallions fiber by amount
- Green onions nutrition: the vitamin K standout
- Allium fiber compared: scallions, onions and leeks
- Scallions among low calorie veggies
- Scallion myths and facts
- Using scallions as more than a garnish
- How many scallions make a cup?
- What scallions fiber does for digestion
- Garnish or vegetable: a quick rule
- Questions people ask about scallions
- Sources
Scallions are not a high fiber food as most people use them. A medium scallion has about 0.4 grams of fiber, and a tablespoon sprinkled over soup has about 0.2 grams.
Weigh them, though, and the picture changes. Gram for gram, scallions fiber beats both onions and leeks. A full cup of chopped scallions has about 2.6 grams for only 32 calories, and it also covers well over a full day’s vitamin K.
Scallions fiber by amount
USDA FoodData Central lists raw scallions, tops and bulb together, at 2.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams and 32 calories. A cup of chopped scallions weighs about 100 grams, so the per cup and per 100 gram numbers match.
| Raw scallions | Weight | Fiber | % DV (28 g) | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon, chopped | 6 g | 0.2 g | 1% | 2 |
| 1 medium scallion | 15 g | 0.4 g | 1% | 5 |
| 1 large scallion | 25 g | 0.7 g | 2% | 8 |
| 1/2 cup, chopped | 50 g | 1.3 g | 5% | 16 |
| 1 cup, chopped | 100 g | 2.6 g | 9% | 32 |
The gap between a garnish and a serving is huge. A sprinkle adds almost nothing, while a half cup folded into eggs, rice or a salad brings over a gram.
Scallions are usually eaten raw or barely cooked, so the raw numbers are the ones that matter most for everyday use.
Green onions nutrition: the vitamin K standout
Scallions and green onions are the same food. Per cup of chopped raw scallions (100 g), USDA lists about:
- Vitamin K: 207 mcg, about 173% of the Daily Value
- Vitamin C: 19 mg, about 21% DV
- Folate: 64 mcg DFE, about 16% DV
- Iron: 1.5 mg, about 8% DV
- Manganese: 0.16 mg, about 7% DV
- Potassium: 276 mg, about 6% DV
- Calcium: 72 mg, about 6% DV
Even a single medium scallion supplies about 31 mcg of vitamin K, roughly a quarter of the Daily Value. That’s a lot for something most people treat as a topping.
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements explains that vitamin K helps your blood clot and supports healthy bones. Scallions aren’t a leafy green, but per cup they carry more vitamin K than many people expect.
A cup of chopped scallions has about 7.3 grams of carbohydrate. Subtract the 2.6 grams of fiber and you get about 4.7 grams of net carbs, with roughly 2.3 grams of natural sugar.
Allium fiber compared: scallions, onions and leeks
Scallions come out ahead of their allium relatives on both fiber and calories. Here are USDA’s raw figures.
| Raw allium | Fiber per 100 g | Calories per 100 g | Fiber per 100 calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scallions | 2.6 g | 32 | 8.1 g |
| Leeks | 1.8 g | 61 | 3.0 g |
| Onion | 1.7 g | 40 | 4.3 g |
Per typical portion, a medium onion (110 g) still edges ahead with about 1.9 grams, simply because you use more of it. But if you’re comparing equal weights, scallions win clearly.
Cooked, the Dietary Guidelines list a cup of cooked onions at 2.9 grams of fiber and 92 calories. A raw cup of scallions gives you about the same fiber for roughly a third of the calories.
A nutrient density ranking
A 2014 study in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease scored 47 fruits and vegetables on 17 nutrients per 100 calories. Scallions ranked 22nd with a score of 27.35, well above the cutoff of 10 used to define a powerhouse vegetable.
Leeks ranked 40th at 10.69, and onions didn’t meet the cutoff at all. Among the alliums studied, only chives ranked higher than scallions, at 14th.
Scallions among low calorie veggies
At 32 calories per cup, scallions belong with the low calorie veggies, though several of those carry more fiber per cup. Here are cooked low calorie vegetables from the Dietary Guidelines list next to raw scallions.
| Vegetable (1 cup) | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Turnip greens, cooked | 5.0 g | 29 |
| Cauliflower, cooked | 4.9 g | 34 |
| Escarole, cooked | 4.2 g | 22 |
| Okra, cooked | 4.0 g | 36 |
| Nopales, cooked | 3.0 g | 22 |
| Asparagus, cooked | 2.9 g | 32 |
| Scallions, raw (USDA) | 2.6 g | 32 |
Per 100 calories, cooked escarole gives about 19 grams of fiber, turnip greens about 17 and cauliflower about 14, while scallions give about 8.1 and asparagus about 9.1. Scallions hold their own among alliums but sit mid-pack among low calorie veggies overall.
Scallions land close to asparagus, calorie for calorie. The difference is portion size: asparagus is usually served by the cup, while scallions tend to show up by the tablespoon.
Mayo Clinic suggests 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day for women and 30 to 38 grams for men. A cup of scallions covers about 10 to 12% of a woman’s target, while a sprinkle barely registers.
Want to find your own daily number? Our fiber calculator gives you a personal target in seconds.
Scallion myths and facts
Myth: The white bulb is the nutritious part and the greens are just decoration.
Fact: USDA’s scallion record covers the tops and bulb together, and that whole stalk delivers 173% of the Daily Value for vitamin K per cup. Use all of it.
Myth: Scallions are basically onions, so they have the same fiber.
Fact: By weight, scallions have about 2.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams versus 1.7 for raw onions, with fewer calories.
Myth: A garnish of green onions adds meaningful fiber.
Fact: A tablespoon has about 0.2 grams. It takes half a cup or more before scallions make a real dent.
Using scallions as more than a garnish
The easiest way to get more from scallions is to treat them as a vegetable instead of a topping. A few ideas:
- Fold half a cup of sliced scallions into scrambled eggs or an omelet
- Stir a generous handful into cooked rice, quinoa or barley
- Grill or roast whole scallions as a side dish
- Mix a half cup into bean salads or lentil bowls
- Blend scallions with herbs into a green sauce for beans or grains
Pairing them with fiber rich foods is where the fiber really adds up. Half a cup of scallions (1.3 g) stirred into half a cup of black beans, which the Dietary Guidelines list at 7.5 grams, gives you close to 9 grams in one simple side.
Here are a few more pairings and what they add, using Dietary Guidelines values for the main ingredient and half a cup of scallions (1.3 g) on top.
| Scallion pairing | Main ingredient fiber | Total with 1/2 cup scallions |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup lentils, cooked | 7.8 g | 9.1 g |
| 1/2 cup black beans | 7.5 g | 8.8 g |
| 1/2 cup edamame | 4.1 g | 5.4 g |
| 1 cup corn, cooked | 4.0 g | 5.3 g |
| 1/2 cup barley, cooked | 3.0 g | 4.3 g |
Every one of those dishes is a natural home for green onions, and each turns a garnish into a real contributor.
Looking for more ways to cook with scallions and other vegetables? Our recipe eBooks are full of easy, high fiber meals.
How many scallions make a cup?
A medium scallion weighs about 15 grams, so a full cup of chopped scallions takes roughly 6 to 7 medium stalks.
Half a cup is three or four scallions, which is a realistic amount to slice into one dish. That’s the sweet spot where green onions start to count for fiber without overpowering the food.
For a sense of scale, Mayo Clinic lists a cup of cooked brown rice at 3.5 grams of fiber. Stir half a cup of scallions and half a cup of edamame into it and the bowl reaches about 8.9 grams, built almost entirely from pantry staples.
What scallions fiber does for digestion
Fiber from scallions works like fiber from any vegetable. Mayo Clinic explains that fiber increases the weight and size of stool and softens it, which makes it easier to pass.
Mayo also notes that a high fiber diet can help lower cholesterol, control blood sugar and keep you feeling full. Scallions alone won’t move those numbers much, but they’re an easy way to flavor the bean and grain dishes that do.
Mayo describes two types of fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like material, while insoluble fiber helps material move through your digestive system. Vegetables, scallions included, contribute to your total either way.
If you’re increasing fiber, Mayo Clinic recommends doing it gradually and drinking plenty of water to avoid gas and bloating.
If you’d like a gentler, step by step plan for adding fiber, our gut health guides walk you through it.
Garnish or vegetable: a quick rule
If you’re using scallions for flavor, a sprinkle is fine, but count it as zero fiber. If you want scallions to pull their weight, use at least half a cup per serving.
At that amount you get over a gram of fiber and close to a full day’s vitamin K for about 16 calories.
And if you want scallions to carry a meal’s fiber, pair that half cup with beans, lentils or whole grains. The scallions bring flavor and vitamin K, and the pairing brings the grams.
Questions people ask about scallions
How much fiber is in one green onion?
About 0.4 grams. USDA lists a medium raw scallion (15 g) at roughly 0.4 grams of fiber and 5 calories.
Are scallions healthier than onions?
By weight, scallions have more fiber (2.6 grams per 100 grams versus 1.7) and fewer calories (32 versus 40). They also ranked higher in a 2014 CDC-published nutrient density study.
Are green onions a good source of vitamin K?
Yes. A cup of chopped scallions has about 207 mcg of vitamin K, roughly 173% of the Daily Value.
Are scallions and green onions the same thing?
Yes. USDA lists them together as onions, spring or scallions, including both tops and bulb.
How many calories are in scallions?
About 5 calories in a medium scallion and about 32 in a cup of chopped scallions.
Can you eat the green part of scallions?
Yes. USDA’s nutrition data for scallions includes both the green tops and the white bulb.
Which onion has the most fiber?
Among raw alliums, scallions have the most per 100 grams at about 2.6 grams, ahead of leeks at 1.8 and onions at 1.7.
Sources
- USDA Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: SR Legacy Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw (170005); Onions, raw (170000); Leeks, raw (169246). 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2024. fda.gov
- Di Noia J. “Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables: A Nutrient Density Approach.” Preventing Chronic Disease. 2014. cdc.gov
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. “Vitamin K: Fact Sheet for Consumers.” 2021. ods.od.nih.gov
- Mayo Clinic Staff. “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” Mayo Clinic. 2025. mayoclinic.org
