Watermelon vs. Asparagus
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Asparagus
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
asparagus
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and asparagus:
- Asparagus has 70% less sugar than watermelon.
- Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Watermelon has more lycopene than asparagus, however, asparagus contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and asparagus has 20 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to asparagus for fat. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for asparagus, 34:61:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 34% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 61% |
| Fat | 4% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and asparagus has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in asparagus comprise of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar.
dietary fiber
Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 425% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus has 70% less sugar than watermelon - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and asparagus has 1.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and asparagus has 2.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and asparagus are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watermelon has 45% more Vitamin C than asparagus - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Asparagus has 415 times more Vitamin K than watermelon - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both watermelon and asparagus contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Watermelon | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.143 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.141 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.978 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.274 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 52 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Asparagus has 243% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and asparagus has 24mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 792% more iron than watermelon - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and asparagus has 2.1mg of iron.
potassium
Asparagus is a great source of potassium and it has 80% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and asparagus has 202mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds, watermelon has more luteolin than asparagus per 100 grams, however, asparagus contains more kaempferol, isorhamnetin and quercetin than watermelon per 100 grams.
| Watermelon | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.46 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 1.39 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.7 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 13.98 mg |
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, watermelon has more lycopene than asparagus per 100 grams, however, asparagus contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams. Both watermelon and asparagus contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Watermelon | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 449 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | 710 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 9 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and asparagus contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Asparagus | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.04 G |
| Total | 0.05 G | 0.04 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) .
Watermelon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Asparagus g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does watermelon or asparagus contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and asparagus has 20 calories.
Is watermelon or asparagus better for protein?
Watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and asparagus has 2.2g of protein.
Does watermelon or asparagus have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and asparagus contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and asparagus has 3.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in asparagus comprise of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar.