Lemon vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and watercress:
- Both lemon and watercress are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 6.2 times less carbohydrates than lemon.
- Watercress has more riboflavin.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 33% |
| Fat | 6% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 6.2 times less carbohydrates than lemon - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 460% more dietary fiber than watercress - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and watercress are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has 23% more Vitamin C than watercress - lemon has 53mg 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 159 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg 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 more Vitamin K than lemon - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more riboflavin. Both lemon and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Lemon | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 362% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Watercress is an excellent source of potassium and it has 139% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg 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, lemon has more luteolin and myricetin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol and quercetin than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 1.9 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.03 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.5 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.14 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,
| Lemon | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both lemon and watercress contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lemon | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.063 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: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Lemon 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 lemon or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is lemon or watercress better for protein?
Lemon and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does lemon or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 6.2 times fewer carbohydrates than lemon - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 360% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does lemon or watercress contain more potassium?
Watercress is a rich source of potassium and it has 140% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.