Carrots vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Carrots and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
carrots
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in carrots and watercress:
- Both watercress and carrots are high in Vitamin A and potassium.
- Carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than watercress, however, watercress contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot.
- Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 22.7 times less sugar than carrot.
- Watercress has 6.4 times less carbohydrates than carrot.
- Watercress has 73% less calories than carrot.
- Watercress has more riboflavin, however, carrot contains more niacin and folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Carrots (Carrots, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 73% less calories than carrot - watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, carrots is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to watercress for fat. Carrots has a macronutrient ratio of 8:88:4 and for watercress, 60:34:6 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Carrots | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 8% | 60% |
| Carbohydrates | 88% | 34% |
| Fat | 4% | 6% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 6.4 times less carbohydrates than carrot - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watercress are made of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch.
dietary fiber
Carrot is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 460% more dietary fiber than watercress - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress has 22.7 times less sugar than carrot - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watercress and carrots contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watercress and carrots are low in saturated fat - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 629% more Vitamin C than carrot - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both watercress and carrots are high in Vitamin A. Carrot has 422% more Vitamin A than watercress - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watercress and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 17 times more Vitamin K than carrot - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more riboflavin, however, carrot contains more niacin and folate. Both carrots and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Carrots | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.066 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.273 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.138 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 264% more calcium than carrot - watercress has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Watercress and carrots contain similar amounts of iron - watercress has 0.2mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both watercress and carrots are high in potassium. Watercress is very similar to carrot for potassium - watercress has 330mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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 carrots and watercress contain small amounts of luteolin and myricetin.
| Carrots | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.11 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.24 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.04 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.21 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 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, carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 8285 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 3477 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 256 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.002 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.002 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, carrot has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.1 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.1 G | 0.012 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Carrots or Watercress .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Carrots (Carrots, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Carrots g
()
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Daily Values (%) |
Watercress g
()
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| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does watercress or carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than carrot - watercress has 11 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Is watercress or carrots better for protein?
Watercress and carrots contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Does watercress or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 6.4 times fewer carbohydrates than carrot - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watercress are made of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch.
Does watercress or carrots contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 260% more calcium than carrot - watercress has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
Does watercress or carrots contain more potassium?
Both watercress and carrots are high in potassium. Watercress is very similar to carrot for potassium - watercress has 330mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.