Lemon vs. Orange Juice

Nutrition comparison of Lemon 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 versus orange juice (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and orange juice:

  • Both lemon and orange juice are high in Vitamin C.
  • Lemon has 70% less sugar than orange juice.
  • Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Orange juice has more niacin and folate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon and orange juice is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon src
Image of Orange Juice src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and orange juice has 45 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lemon is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to orange juice for fat. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for orange juice, 6:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lemon Orange Juice
Protein 10% 6%
Carbohydrates 84% 90%
Fat 6% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 13 times more dietary fiber than orange juice - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lemon has 70% less sugar than orange juice - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and orange juice has 8.4g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lemon and orange juice are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.02g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both lemon and orange juice are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has a little more Vitamin C (6%) than orange juice by weight - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange juice has 50mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange juice has 10ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Orange juice and lemon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - orange juice has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Orange juice has more niacin and folate. Both lemon and orange juice contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Lemon Orange Juice
Thiamin 0.04 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.02 MG 0.03 MG
Niacin 0.1 MG 0.4 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.19 MG 0.19 MG
Vitamin B6 0.08 MG 0.04 MG
Folate 11 UG 30 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lemon has 136% more calcium than orange juice - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange juice has 11mg of calcium.

iron

Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2mg of iron.

potassium

Orange juice has 45% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and orange juice has 200mg 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,

Lemon Orange Juice
luteolin 1.9 mg ~
kaempferol 0.03 mg ~
myricetin 0.5 mg 0.05 mg
Quercetin 1.14 mg 0.25 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 lemon and orange juice contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.

Lemon Orange Juice
beta-carotene 3 UG 33 UG
alpha-carotene 1 UG 6 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 11 UG 115 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than orange juice per 100 grams.

Lemon 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 has more linoleic acid than orange juice per 100 grams.

Lemon 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 (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .

Lemon g

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G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
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thiamin (Vit B1)
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niacin (Vit B3)
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protein
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biotin (Vit B7)
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choline
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chlorine
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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does lemon or orange juice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and orange juice has 45 calories.

Does lemon or orange juice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.

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