Lemon Zest vs. Orange Juice
Nutrition comparison of Lemon Zest and Orange Juice
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 juice
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon zest and orange juice:
- Both lemon zest and orange juice are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon zest has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6, however, orange juice contains more folate.
- Lemon zest is an excellent source of calcium and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of calories - lemon zest has 47 calories per 100 grams and orange juice has 45 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon zest is lighter in fat and similar to orange juice for protein and carbs. Lemon zest has a macronutrient ratio of 9:91:0 and for orange juice, 6:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon Zest | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 90% |
| Fat | ~ | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon zest has 16g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon zest is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 52 times more dietary fiber than orange juice - lemon zest has 10.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon zest has 50% less sugar than orange juice - lemon zest has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and orange juice has 8.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of protein - lemon zest has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon zest and orange juice are low in saturated fat - lemon zest has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon zest and orange juice are high in Vitamin C. Lemon zest has 158% more Vitamin C than orange juice - lemon zest has 129mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange juice has 50mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon zest has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange juice has 10ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon zest has 0.25mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Orange juice and lemon zest contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - orange juice has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon zest does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Lemon zest has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6, however, orange juice contains more folate. Both lemon zest and orange juice contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Lemon Zest | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.06 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.08 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.319 MG | 0.19 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.172 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 13 UG | 30 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon zest is an excellent source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than orange juice - lemon zest has 134mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange juice has 11mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon zest has 300% more iron than orange juice - lemon zest has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon zest has 160mg of potassium per 100 grams and orange juice has 200mg 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 juice contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Lemon Zest | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 7 UG | 33 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 6 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 115 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon zest has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than orange juice per 100 grams.
| Lemon Zest | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 juice per 100 grams.
| Lemon Zest | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.029 G |
| Total | 0.063 G | 0.029 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 Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .
Lemon Zest g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Orange Juice 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 zest or orange juice contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of calories - lemon zest has 47 calories in 100g and orange juice has 45 calories.
Does lemon zest or orange juice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon zest and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon zest has 16g of carbs for 100g and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon zest or orange juice contain more calcium?
Lemon zest is a rich source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than orange juice - lemon zest has 134mg of calcium in 100 grams and orange juice has 11mg of calcium.