Watermelon vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and onion:
- Onion has more Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is lighter in protein and similar to onion for carbs and fat. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 87% |
| Fat | 4% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Onion has 325% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and onion are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watermelon has more Vitamin A than onion - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Onion has more Vitamin B6 and folate. Both watermelon and onion contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Watermelon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Onion has 229% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of potassium - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, watermelon has more luteolin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more isorhamnetin and quercetin than watermelon per 100 grams. Both watermelon and onion contain significant amounts of kaempferol.
| Watermelon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.46 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 0.65 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 5.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 20.3 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, both watermelon and onion contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Watermelon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 1 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | 4 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and onion contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.05 G | 0.013 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) .
Watermelon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Onion 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 watermelon or onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does watermelon or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.