Lemon Zest vs. Orange
Nutrition comparison of Lemon Zest and Orange
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon zest
versus
orange
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon zest and orange:
- Both lemon zest and orange are high in Vitamin C, calcium and dietary fiber.
- Lemon zest has 54% less sugar than orange.
- Lemon zest has more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) and Orange (Oranges, raw, Florida) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of calories - lemon zest has 47 calories per 100 grams and orange has 46 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon zest is lighter in fat and similar to orange for protein and carbs. Lemon zest has a macronutrient ratio of 9:91:0 and for orange, 6:91:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon Zest | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 91% |
| Fat | ~ | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon zest has 16g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lemon zest and orange are high in dietary fiber. Lemon zest has 342% more dietary fiber than orange - lemon zest has 10.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon zest has 54% less sugar than orange - lemon zest has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and orange has 9.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of protein - lemon zest has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and orange has 0.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon zest and orange are low in saturated fat - lemon zest has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon zest and orange are high in Vitamin C. Lemon zest has 187% more Vitamin C than orange - lemon zest has 129mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange has 45mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon zest has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange has 11ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon zest has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
The B Vitamins
Lemon zest has more Vitamin B6. Both lemon zest and orange contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Lemon Zest | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.06 MG | 0.1 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.08 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.319 MG | 0.25 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.172 MG | 0.051 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 17 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both lemon zest and orange are high in calcium. Lemon zest has 212% more calcium than orange - lemon zest has 134mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange has 43mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon zest has 789% more iron than orange - lemon zest has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and orange has 0.09mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon zest has 160mg 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 zest and orange contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Lemon Zest | Orange | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 7 UG | 71 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 11 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 129 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon zest has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than orange per 100 grams.
| Lemon Zest | 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 zest has more linoleic acid than orange per 100 grams.
| Lemon Zest | 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) and Orange (Oranges, raw, Florida) .
Lemon Zest 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
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 % |
|
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% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
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 lemon zest or orange contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of calories - lemon zest has 47 calories in 100g and orange has 46 calories.
Does lemon zest or orange have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon zest and orange contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon zest has 16g of carbs for 100g and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon zest or orange contain more calcium?
Both lemon zest and orange are high in calcium. Lemon zest has 210% more calcium than orange - lemon zest has 134mg of calcium in 100 grams and orange has 43mg of calcium.