Grapefruit vs. Lemon
Nutrition comparison of Grapefruit and Lemon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
grapefruit
versus
lemon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in grapefruit and lemon:
- Both lemon and grapefruit are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon has 64% less sugar than grapefruit.
- Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Grapefruit (Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, all areas) and Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and grapefruit has 42 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, grapefruit is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to lemon for protein. Grapefruit has a macronutrient ratio of 7:91:3 and for lemon, 9:84:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Grapefruit | Lemon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 84% |
| Fat | 3% | 7% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and grapefruit has 10.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 75% more dietary fiber than grapefruit - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and grapefruit has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon has 64% less sugar than grapefruit - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and grapefruit has 6.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and grapefruit has 0.77g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and grapefruit are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and grapefruit has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and grapefruit are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has 70% more Vitamin C than grapefruit - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and grapefruit has 31.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Grapefruit has 57 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and grapefruit has 58ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and grapefruit has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
The B Vitamins
Both grapefruit and lemon contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Grapefruit | Lemon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.043 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.031 MG | 0.02 MG |
| Niacin | 0.204 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.262 MG | 0.19 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.053 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of calcium - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and grapefruit has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon has 650% more iron than grapefruit - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and grapefruit has 0.08mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and grapefruit has 135mg 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 grapefruit and lemon contain small amounts of kaempferol.
| Grapefruit | Lemon | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.6 mg | 1.9 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.01 mg | 0.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.01 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.33 mg | 1.14 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, both grapefruit and lemon contain small amounts of alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Grapefruit | Lemon | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 686 UG | 3 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 3 UG | 1 UG |
| lycopene | 1419 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5 UG | 11 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than grapefruit per 100 grams.
| Grapefruit | Lemon | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.026 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than grapefruit per 100 grams.
| Grapefruit | Lemon | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.029 G | 0.063 G |
| Total | 0.029 G | 0.063 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: Grapefruit (Grapefruit, raw, pink and red, all areas) and Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) .
Grapefruit g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Lemon 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 % |
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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 % |
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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% |
|
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| MG % |
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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 lemon or grapefruit contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and grapefruit has 42 calories.
Does lemon or grapefruit have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and grapefruit contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and grapefruit has 10.7g of carbohydrates.