Green Bean vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Green Bean and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
green bean
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in green bean and watercress:
- Both green bean and watercress are high in Vitamin C and potassium.
- Green bean has more niacin and folate.
- Green bean is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 65% less calories than green bean.
- Watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than green bean, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene than watercress.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 65% less calories than green bean - green bean has 31 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, green bean is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Green bean has a macronutrient ratio of 20:76:5 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Green Bean | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 33% |
| Fat | 5% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Green bean and watercress contain similar amounts of carbs - green bean has 7g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in green bean are made of 48% sugar, 39% dietary fiber and 13% starch, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Green bean is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 440% more dietary fiber than watercress - green bean has 2.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Green bean and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - green bean has 3.3g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Green bean and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - green bean has 1.8g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both green bean and watercress are low in saturated fat - green bean has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both green bean and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 252% more Vitamin C than green bean - green bean has 12.2mg 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 357% more Vitamin A than green bean - green bean has 35ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Green bean and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - green bean has 0.41mg 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 481% more Vitamin K than green bean - green bean has 43ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Green bean has more niacin and folate. Both green bean and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Green Bean | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.082 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.104 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.225 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.141 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 33 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 224% more calcium than green bean - green bean has 37mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Green bean has 415% more iron than watercress - green bean has 1mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both green bean and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 56% more potassium than green bean - green bean has 211mg 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, both green bean and watercress contain small amounts of luteolin and myricetin.
| Green Bean | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.13 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.13 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.73 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, watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than green bean per 100 grams, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene than watercress per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 379 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 69 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 640 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, green bean has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.069 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.069 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both green bean and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Green Bean | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.044 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.044 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: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Green Bean g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 green bean or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than green bean - green bean has 31 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is green bean or watercress better for protein?
Green bean and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - green bean has 1.8g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does green bean or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, green bean and watercress contain similar amounts of carbs - green bean has 7g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in green bean are made of 50% sugar, 40% dietary fiber and 10% starch, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does green bean or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 220% more calcium than green bean - green bean has 37mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does green bean or watercress contain more potassium?
Both green bean and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 60% more potassium than green bean - green bean has 211mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.