Onion vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Onion and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
onion
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in onion and watercress:
- Watercress has 20.2 times less sugar than onion.
- Watercress has 6.2 times less carbohydrates than onion.
- Watercress has 73% less calories than onion.
- Watercress has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, onion contains more folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Onion (Onions, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 73% less calories than onion - onion has 40 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, onion is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to watercress for fat. Onion has a macronutrient ratio of 11:87:3 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Onion | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 33% |
| Fat | 3% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 6.2 times less carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion has 240% more dietary fiber than watercress - onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress has 20.2 times less sugar than onion - onion has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Onion and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both onion and watercress are low in saturated fat - onion has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 481% more Vitamin C than onion - onion has 7.4mg 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 more Vitamin A than onion - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Onion and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - onion has 0.02mg 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 624 times more Vitamin K than onion - onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, onion contains more folate. Both onion and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Onion | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.123 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 422% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Onion and watercress contain similar amounts of iron - onion has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Watercress is an excellent source of potassium and it has 126% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg 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, onion has more isorhamnetin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol than onion per 100 grams. Both onion and watercress contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Onion | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg |
| isorhamnetin | 5.01 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.65 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 20.3 mg | 29.99 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,
| Onion | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Onion | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.004 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.004 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both onion and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Onion | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.013 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: Onion (Onions, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Onion 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 onion or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than onion - onion has 40 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is onion or watercress better for protein?
Onion and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - onion has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does onion or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 6.2 times fewer carbohydrates than onion - onion has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
Does onion or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 420% more calcium than onion - onion has 23mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does onion or watercress contain more potassium?
Watercress is a rich source of potassium and it has 130% more potassium than onion - onion has 146mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.