Asparagus, cooked
Checked by us One serving: 85 g · 19 kcal
Lots of vitamin K1 and folate.
Nothing to watch for most people.
On warfarin? Keep your vitamin K steady.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (85 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- A lot
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
43 µg in one serving: 36% of the 120 µg a day men need, 48% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
- A lot
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
127 µg in one serving: 32% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
20 more nutrients below “a lot”
- Some
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.14 mg in one serving: 12% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 13% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
5.19 µg in one serving: 9% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.12 mg in one serving: 9% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 11% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
1.28 mg in one serving: 9% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
1.33 mg in one serving: 8% of the 16 mg a day men need, 10% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
6.55 mg in one serving: 7% of the 90 mg a day men need, 9% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
190 mg in one serving: 6% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 7% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.07 mg in one serving: 5% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
42.5 µg in one serving: 5% of the 900 µg a day men need, 6% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.51 mg in one serving: 5% of the 11 mg a day men need, 6% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
1.7 g in one serving: 4% of the 38 g a day men need, 7% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
0.77 mg in one serving: 10% of the 8 mg a day men need, 4% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
22.2 mg in one serving: 4% of the 550 mg a day men need, 5% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
2.04 g in one serving: 4% of the 56 g a day men need, 4% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
11.9 mg in one serving: 3% of the 400 mg a day men need, 4% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
19.6 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
24.7 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 2% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 1.6 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 4.43 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 25% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 89% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 3,400 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 595 g a week, which stays within the 980 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 25% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Checked for nickel, aluminum and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Nickel
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 82 servings in a day of this food alone to use up what the highest average adult intake we found leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 8.2 µg
How we got this
The highest average adult intake we found already takes up about 26% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 9,400 g a day would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 85 g a day, which stays within the 7,000 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2020 tolerable daily intake for nickel is 13 µg/kg body weight/day, 910 µg/day for 70 kg. At 96.43 µg/kg in cooked asparagus (Health Canada Total Diet Study, 11 composites, lower bound), about 9,437 g a day eaten alone would reach it; an 85 g serving carries 8.2 µg. Other sources of nickel are not counted.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Aluminum
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 66 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 152 µg
How we got this
39,000 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. At 1,790 µg/kg in cooked asparagus (Health Canada Total Diet Study, 11 composites, lower bound), about 39,106 g a week eaten alone would reach it; an 85 g serving carries 152 µg. Other sources of aluminium are not counted.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 67 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 1.1–1.5% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.43 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. An 85 g serving of boiled asparagus adds 0.43 µg, about 1.1–1.5% of an average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 5.105 µg/kg (11 composites, no non-detects) is a lower bound.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
For some people
Flag for people on warfarin: keep vitamin K intake consistent; boiled asparagus has about 43 µg per 85 g.
Learn more
Eat a steady amount, not none. This line goes on every food whose serving gives 10% or more of the daily vitamin K; a few foods below that carry it too, where a source names them. One serving here has about 43 µg of vitamin K1.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
1.1 g of sugar in a 85 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 2
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Shown as context, not rated: EFSA's 2017 acceptable daily intake for nitrate is 3.7 mg/kg body weight/day, 259 mg/day for 70 kg. No boiled-asparagus figure exists; on raw spears (EFSA 2008, 260 samples) the mean is 209 mg/kg, which would reach the limit at about 1,239 g a day (10,792 g at the median of 24 mg/kg, 178 g at the 95th percentile of 1,459). Boiling probably lowers nitrate, but no asparagus conversion is sourced, so the as-eaten amount is left missing.
Shown as context, not rated: no limit is applied to pesticide residues here. About a quarter of CFIA screens on raw spears were positive: 18 of 73 domestic and 84 of 332 imported in 2016–22, and far fewer in 2022–23 (2 of 30 domestic, 3 of 112 imported). No violations appear in the tables read; the effect of boiling was not looked up.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 85 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More vitamin K1
Kale, cooked355 µg in 85 g (this food: 43 µg) · but less folate
Turnip greens, cooked312 µg in 85 g (this food: 43 µg)
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For folate: Edamame, cooked would lead, in the same 85 g, but is left out (not tested for contaminants yet).
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other vegetables we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
- Turnip greens, cooked
- More vitamin K1 (312 µg vs 43 µg)
- More vitamin A (324 µg vs 42.5 µg)
- More vitamin C (23.3 mg vs 6.55 mg)
- Kale, cooked
- More vitamin K1 (355 µg vs 43 µg)
- More omega-3: ALA (286 mg vs 24.7 mg)
- More calcium (128 mg vs 19.6 mg)
- Less folate (55.3 µg vs 127 µg)
Brussels sprouts, cooked- More vitamin K1 (119 µg vs 43 µg)
- More vitamin C (52.7 mg vs 6.55 mg)
- Less folate (51 µg vs 127 µg)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Spinach, cooked would lead this list, but it’s left out (Cadmium: go easy · lots of oxalate, more than its own calcium can bind).
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g. In a typical diet most protein comes from other foods; among vegetables, these help most.
Green peas, cooked5.2 g protein · 78 kcal per 100 g
Broccoli, cooked3.1 g protein · 28 kcal per 100 g- Kale, cooked2.9 g protein · 36 kcal per 100 g
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Mustard greens, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).
Left out: Edamame, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).
Left out: Spinach, cooked (Cadmium: go easy · lots of oxalate, more than its own calcium can bind).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Asparagus, cooked, boiled, drained
How the serving was set: 85 g (Health Canada TRA V.1, vegetables without sauce, fresh or frozen; copied from the sibling rows kale and lettuce, the TRA page not re-opened this session)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.029 g | 0.02 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Calcium | 23 mg | 19.55 mg | 104.55 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| 23 mg | 19.55 mg | 104.55 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #1991 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 4.11 g | 3.49 g | 18.68 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Choline | 26.1 mg | 22.19 mg | 118.64 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Energy | 22 kcal | 18.7 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fat | 0.22 g | 0.19 g | 1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.048 g | 0.04 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fibre | 2 g | 1.7 g | 9.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Folate | 149 µg | 126.65 µg | 677.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Iron | 0.91 mg | 0.77 mg | 4.14 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Magnesium | 14 mg | 11.9 mg | 63.64 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 1.567 mg | 1.33 mg | 7.12 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #1991 | C |
| Phosphorus | 54 mg | 45.9 mg | 245.45 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Potassium | 224 mg | 190.4 mg | 1,018.18 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 2.04 g | 10.91 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.139 mg | 0.12 mg | 0.63 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Selenium | 6.1 µg | 5.19 µg | 27.73 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Sodium | 14 mg | 11.9 mg | 63.64 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Sugars | 1.3 g | 1.11 g | 5.91 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.162 mg | 0.14 mg | 0.74 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin A | 50 µg | 42.5 µg | 227.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.079 mg | 0.07 mg | 0.36 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin C | 7.7 mg | 6.55 mg | 35 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin E | 1.5 mg | 1.28 mg | 6.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 50.6 µg | 43.01 µg | 230 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Water | 92.63 g | 78.74 g | 421.05 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Zinc | 0.6 mg | 0.51 mg | 2.73 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 604 µg | 513.4 µg | 2,745.45 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Copper | 0.165 mg | 0.14 mg | 0.75 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Ash | 0.63 g | 0.54 g | 2.86 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Starch | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Sucrose | 0.08 g | 0.07 g | 0.36 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Glucose | 0.42 g | 0.36 g | 1.91 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fructose | 0.79 g | 0.67 g | 3.59 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Maltose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Energy | 94 kj | 79.9 kj | 427.27 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Galactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fluoride, F | 21.9 µg | 18.62 µg | 99.55 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 1,006 iu | 855.1 iu | 4,572.73 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Lycopene | 30 µg | 25.5 µg | 136.36 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 0.21 mg | 0.18 mg | 0.95 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Folate, food | 149 µg | 126.65 µg | 677.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 149 µg | 126.65 µg | 677.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Betaine | 0.9 mg | 0.77 mg | 4.09 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.029 g | 0.02 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Threonine | 0.092 g | 0.08 g | 0.42 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.082 g | 0.07 g | 0.37 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Leucine | 0.14 g | 0.12 g | 0.64 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Lysine | 0.113 g | 0.1 g | 0.51 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Methionine | 0.034 g | 0.03 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Cystine | 0.034 g | 0.03 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.082 g | 0.07 g | 0.37 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.057 g | 0.05 g | 0.26 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Valine | 0.125 g | 0.11 g | 0.57 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Arginine | 0.099 g | 0.08 g | 0.45 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Histidine | 0.053 g | 0.05 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Alanine | 0.125 g | 0.11 g | 0.57 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 0.555 g | 0.47 g | 2.52 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 0.255 g | 0.22 g | 1.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Glycine | 0.101 g | 0.09 g | 0.46 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Proline | 0.077 g | 0.07 g | 0.35 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Serine | 0.116 g | 0.1 g | 0.53 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.048 g | 0.04 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 20:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.076 g | 0.06 g | 0.35 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.029 g | 0.02 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 22:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.105 g | 0.09 g | 0.48 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 15:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 17:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| SFA 24:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Lactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 771 µg | 655.35 µg | 3,504.55 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Manganese | 0.154 mg | 0.13 mg | 0.7 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 1.084 mg | 0.92 mg | 4.93 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.225 mg | 0.19 mg | 1.02 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #168390 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg/week for 70 kg. At 1,790 µg/kg in cooked asparagus (Health Canada Total Diet Study, 11 composites, lower bound), about 39,106 g a week eaten alone would reach it; an 85 g serving carries 152 µg. Other sources of aluminium are not counted. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 25% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe level of lead is set, so there is no grams figure; the rating rests on what a serving adds to average intake. An 85 g serving of boiled asparagus adds 0.43 µg, about 1.1–1.5% of an average adult's 28–41 µg/day (EFSA 2012). The Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 5.105 µg/kg (11 composites, no non-detects) is a lower bound. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Nickel · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2020 tolerable daily intake for nickel is 13 µg/kg body weight/day, 910 µg/day for 70 kg. At 96.43 µg/kg in cooked asparagus (Health Canada Total Diet Study, 11 composites, lower bound), about 9,437 g a day eaten alone would reach it; an 85 g serving carries 8.2 µg. Other sources of nickel are not counted. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Nitrate · Context · Shown as context, not rated: EFSA's 2017 acceptable daily intake for nitrate is 3.7 mg/kg body weight/day, 259 mg/day for 70 kg. No boiled-asparagus figure exists; on raw spears (EFSA 2008, 260 samples) the mean is 209 mg/kg, which would reach the limit at about 1,239 g a day (10,792 g at the median of 24 mg/kg, 178 g at the 95th percentile of 1,459). Boiling probably lowers nitrate, but no asparagus conversion is sourced, so the as-eaten amount is left missing. · EFSA 2008 · A
- Pesticide residues · Context · Shown as context, not rated: no limit is applied to pesticide residues here. About a quarter of CFIA screens on raw spears were positive: 18 of 73 domestic and 84 of 332 imported in 2016–22, and far fewer in 2022–23 (2 of 30 domestic, 3 of 112 imported). No violations appear in the tables read; the effect of boiling was not looked up. · CFIA chemical residue monitoring (2022–2023) · A
- Vitamin K and warfarin · Worth knowing · Flag for people on warfarin: keep vitamin K intake consistent; boiled asparagus has about 43 µg per 85 g. · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · C
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- fodmap excess fructose: free fructose 9.04 minus glucose 5.69 g/100 g dry matter = 3.35 g/100 g dw excess fructose in the raw edible spear (derived by subtraction); roughly 0.34 g/100 g fresh weight at about 90% moisture (derived). g/100 g dry matter · dry matter (not as eaten) · raw edible spear portion, freeze-dried; NOT boiled · grade B · DOI 10.3390/foods13081154
- fodmap fructan: inulin 1.48 ± 0.17 g/100 g DRY matter in the edible spear portion (raw, freeze-dried; HPLC of a hot-water extract); with the paper's spear moisture 'close to 90 g/100 g' that is roughly 0.15 g/100 g fresh weight, about 0.13 g per 85 g serving (derived here, not in the paper). Boiling not tested. g/100 g dry matter · dry matter (not as eaten) · raw edible spear portion (apical 15 cm), freeze-dried and ground; NOT boiled · grade B · DOI 10.3390/foods13081154
- oxalate total: boiled asparagus total oxalate 2.6 mg/100 g (soluble 0.9, insoluble 1.7; n 3); about 2.2 mg per 85 g serving. The Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation list gives 6 mg/100 g for 'asparagus, boiled or steamed' (compiled list, grade C). Low either way. mg/100 g · fresh weight · boiled · grade B · Salgado 2023
Sources
- CFIA, National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program and Chemistry Food Safety Oversight Program Annual Report 2022-2023, Annex B tables B-1 (Canadian) and B-2 (imported)
cfia-ncrmp-2022-23· full text read · Open Government Licence - Canada - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Goñi I, García-Alonso A, et al. Composition and Functional Properties of the Edible Spear and By-Products from Asparagus officinalis L. and Their Potential Prebiotic Effect. Foods 2024;13(8):1154 · doi:10.3390/foods13081154
doi:10.3390/foods13081154· full text read · licence not recorded - EFSA CONTAM Panel (2008) Nitrate in vegetables. EFSA Journal 689 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2008.689
efsa-2008-nitrate· full text read · EFSA Journal: CC BY-ND 4.0 - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites)
hc-tds-trace-elements· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Salgado N et al. Oxalate in foods: extraction conditions, analytical methods, occurrence, and health implications. Foods 2023;12(17):3201. · doi:10.3390/foods12173201
salgado2023-foods· full text read · CC BY 4.0
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.