Banana vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Banana and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
banana
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in banana and watercress:
- Both watercress and banana are high in potassium.
- Banana is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 60.1 times less sugar than banana.
- Watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than watercress.
- Watercress has more thiamin, however, banana contains more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Watercress has signficantly less calories than banana.
- Watercress has signficantly less carbohydrates than banana.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has signficantly less calories than banana - watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, banana is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to watercress for fat. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Banana | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 93% | 33% |
| Fat | 3% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has signficantly less carbohydrates than banana - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Banana is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 420% more dietary fiber than watercress - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress has 60.1 times less sugar than banana - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watercress and banana contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watercress and banana are low in saturated fat - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 394% more Vitamin C than banana - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 52 times more Vitamin A than banana - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watercress and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 499 times more Vitamin K than banana - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more thiamin, however, banana contains more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both banana and watercress contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Banana | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.665 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.334 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.367 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 20 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 23 times more calcium than banana - watercress has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Watercress and banana contain similar amounts of iron - watercress has 0.2mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both watercress and banana are high in potassium. Watercress is very similar to watercress for potassium - watercress has 330mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg 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, both banana and watercress contain small amounts of myricetin.
| Banana | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.11 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.01 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.06 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 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, watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than watercress per 100 grams.
| Banana | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 26 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 25 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both banana and watercress contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Banana | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.027 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.027 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both banana and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Banana | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.046 G | 0.012 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: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Banana g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress 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 watercress or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has signficantly less calories than banana - watercress has 11 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Is watercress or banana better for protein?
Watercress and banana contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Does watercress or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than banana - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does watercress or banana contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 23 times more calcium than banana - watercress has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
Does watercress or banana contain more potassium?
Both watercress and banana are high in potassium. Watercress is very similar to watercress for potassium - watercress has 330mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.