Okra vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Okra and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
okra
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in okra and watercress:
- Both okra and watercress are high in Vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
- Okra has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, watercress contains more riboflavin.
- Okra is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 4.7 times less carbohydrates than okra.
- Watercress has 67% less calories than okra.
- Watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than okra, however, okra contains more alpha-carotene than watercress.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Okra (Okra, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 67% less calories than okra - okra has 33 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, okra is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Okra has a macronutrient ratio of 19:76:5 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Okra | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 19% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 33% |
| Fat | 5% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 4.7 times less carbohydrates than okra - okra has 7.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Okra is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 540% more dietary fiber than watercress - okra has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Okra and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - okra has 1.5g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Okra and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - okra has 1.9g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both okra and watercress are low in saturated fat - okra has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both okra and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 87% more Vitamin C than okra - okra has 23mg 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 344% more Vitamin A than okra - okra has 36ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Okra and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - okra has 0.27mg 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 699% more Vitamin K than okra - okra has 31.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Okra has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, watercress contains more riboflavin. Both okra and watercress contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Okra | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.2 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 1 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.245 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.215 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 60 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both okra and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 46% more calcium than okra - okra has 82mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Okra has 210% more iron than watercress - okra has 0.62mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both okra and watercress are high in potassium. Okra is very similar to okra for potassium - okra has 299mg 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, both okra and watercress contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Okra | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 20.97 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.2 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, watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than okra per 100 grams, however, okra contains more alpha-carotene than watercress per 100 grams.
| Okra | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 416 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 27 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 280 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than okra per 100 grams.
| Okra | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.001 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.001 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both okra and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Okra | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.026 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: Okra (Okra, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Okra 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 okra or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than okra - okra has 33 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is okra or watercress better for protein?
Okra and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - okra has 1.9g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does okra or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 4.7 times fewer carbohydrates than okra - okra has 7.5g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
Does okra or watercress contain more calcium?
Both okra and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 50% more calcium than okra - okra has 82mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does okra or watercress contain more potassium?
Both okra and watercress are high in potassium. Okra is very similar to okra for potassium - okra has 299mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.