Lemon vs. Orange
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Orange
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
orange
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and orange:
- Both lemon and orange are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Lemon has 73% less sugar than orange.
- Orange has more thiamin and niacin.
- Orange is a great source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Orange (Oranges, raw, Florida) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and orange has 46 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to orange for fat. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:83:7 and for orange, 6:91:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 83% | 91% |
| Fat | 7% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lemon and orange are high in dietary fiber. Lemon has 17% more dietary fiber than orange - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon has 73% less sugar than orange - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and orange has 9.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and orange has 0.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and orange are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and orange are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has 18% more Vitamin C than orange - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange has 45mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange has 11ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
The B Vitamins
Orange has more thiamin and niacin. Both lemon and orange contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Lemon | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.25 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.051 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 17 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Orange is a great source of calcium and it has 65% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange has 43mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon has 567% more iron than orange - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and orange has 0.09mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and orange has 169mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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 lemon and orange contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Lemon | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 71 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 11 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 129 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than orange per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.011 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than orange per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.031 G |
| Total | 0.063 G | 0.031 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.
Lemon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Orange 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 lemon or orange contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and orange has 46 calories.
Does lemon or orange have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and orange contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.