Beef vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and watercress:
- Both beef and watercress are high in potassium.
- Beef has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Beef is an excellent source of protein.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beef is high in calories and watercress has 96% less calories than beef - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 33% |
| Fat | 62% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both watercress and beef are low in carbohydrates - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Watercress has more dietary fiber than beef - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Watercress and beef contain similar amounts of sugar - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Beef is an excellent source of protein and it has 10 times more protein than watercress - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and watercress has 100% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Watercress has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and watercress does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Watercress has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and watercress does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than beef - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 52 times more Vitamin A than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and watercress does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beef and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 82 times more Vitamin K than beef - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beef has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both beef and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and folate.
| Beef | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 9 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 243% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than watercress - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 20% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, beef has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Beef | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Beef | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.402 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: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Cooked Beef 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 beef or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Beef is high in calories and watercress has 100% less calories than beef - beef has 277 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is beef or watercress better for protein?
Beef is a fantastic source of protein and it has 10 times more protein than watercress - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does watercress or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both watercress and beef are low in carbohydrates - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..
Does beef or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than beef - beef has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does beef or watercress contain more potassium?
Both beef and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 20% more potassium than beef - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.