Fennel vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Fennel and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
fennel
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in fennel and watercress:
- Both fennel and watercress are high in calcium and potassium.
- Fennel is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 4.6 times less carbohydrates than fennel.
- Watercress has 65% less calories than fennel.
- Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6, however, fennel contains more niacin and folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Fennel (Fennel, bulb, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 65% less calories than fennel - fennel has 31 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, fennel is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Fennel has a macronutrient ratio of 14:81:6 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Fennel | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 81% | 33% |
| Fat | 6% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 4.6 times less carbohydrates than fennel - fennel has 7.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in fennel are made of 56% sugar and 44% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Fennel is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 520% more dietary fiber than watercress - fennel has 3.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Fennel and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - fennel has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Fennel and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - fennel has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both fennel and watercress are low in saturated fat - fennel has 0.09g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 258% more Vitamin C than fennel - fennel has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 233% more Vitamin A than fennel - fennel has 48ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Fennel and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - fennel has 0.58mg 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 298% more Vitamin K than fennel - fennel has 62.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6, however, fennel contains more niacin and folate. Both fennel and watercress contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Fennel | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.01 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.032 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.64 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.232 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.047 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both fennel and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 145% more calcium than fennel - fennel has 49mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Fennel has 265% more iron than watercress - fennel has 0.73mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both fennel and watercress are high in potassium. Fennel has 25% more potassium than watercress - fennel has 414mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg 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,
| Fennel | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 0.23 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.2 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,
| Fennel | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 578 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 607 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, fennel has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Fennel | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.169 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.169 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: Fennel (Fennel, bulb, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Fennel 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 fennel or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than fennel - fennel has 31 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is fennel or watercress better for protein?
Fennel and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - fennel has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does fennel or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 4.6 times fewer carbohydrates than fennel - fennel has 7.3g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in fennel are made of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does fennel or watercress contain more calcium?
Both fennel and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 150% more calcium than fennel - fennel has 49mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does fennel or watercress contain more potassium?
Both fennel and watercress are high in potassium. Fennel has 30% more potassium than watercress - fennel has 414mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.