Beets vs. Cucumber
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Cucumber
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
cucumber
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and cucumber:
- Beet has more folate.
- Beet is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Beet is an excellent source of potassium.
- Cucumber has 65% less calories than beet.
- Cucumber has 75% less sugar than beet.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cucumber has 65% less calories than beet - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is similar to cucumber for protein, carbs and fat. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:83:3 and for cucumber, 15:80:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 83% | 80% |
| Fat | 3% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in cucumber are made of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Beet is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 460% more dietary fiber than cucumber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber has 75% less sugar than beet - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of protein - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cucumber and beets are low in saturated fat - cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beet has 2ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beet has more folate. Both beets and cucumber contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Beets | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.098 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.259 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 7 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of calcium - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Beet has 186% more iron than cucumber - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Beet is an excellent source of potassium and it has 121% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg 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 beets and cucumber contain small amounts of quercetin.
| Beets | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 0.04 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 0.13 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,
| Beets | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 20 UG | 45 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 11 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 23 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beets and cucumber contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beets | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.005 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.005 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beets and cucumber contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Beets | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.028 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.028 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.
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cucumber 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 cucumber or beets contain more calories in 100 grams?Cucumber has 70% less calories than beet - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.
Does cucumber or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cucumber and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cucumber are made of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does cucumber or beets contain more potassium?
Beet is a rich source of potassium and it has 120% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.