Lemon juice vs. Orange Juice
Nutrition comparison of Lemon Juice 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 juice
versus
orange juice
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon juice and orange juice:
- Both lemon juice and orange juice are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon juice has 51% less calories than orange juice.
- Lemon juice has 70% less sugar than orange juice.
- Orange juice has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon juice (Lemon juice, 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 juice has 51% less calories than orange juice - lemon juice has 22 calories per 100 grams and orange juice has 45 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon juice is similar to orange juice for protein, carbs and fat. Lemon juice has a macronutrient ratio of 5:88:7 and for orange juice, 6:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon juice | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 88% | 90% |
| Fat | 7% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon juice has 6.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - lemon juice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon juice has 70% less sugar than orange juice - lemon juice has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and orange juice has 8.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of protein - lemon juice has 0.35g of protein per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon juice and orange juice are low in saturated fat - lemon juice has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon juice and orange juice are high in Vitamin C. Orange juice has 29% more Vitamin C than lemon juice - lemon juice has 38.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange juice has 50mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Orange juice has more Vitamin A than lemon juice - orange juice has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon juice has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Orange juice and lemon juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - orange juice has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Orange juice has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Both lemon juice and orange juice contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Lemon juice | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.024 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.015 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.131 MG | 0.19 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.046 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 20 UG | 30 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of calcium - lemon juice has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange juice has 11mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of iron - lemon juice has 0.08mg of iron per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Orange juice has 94% more potassium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 103mg 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, both lemon juice and orange juice contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Lemon juice | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| myricetin | 0.02 mg | 0.05 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.37 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,
| Lemon juice | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 33 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 15 UG | 115 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 6 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both lemon juice and orange juice contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lemon juice | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.009 G | 0.011 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lemon juice and orange juice contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lemon juice | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.012 G | 0.029 G |
| Total | 0.012 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 juice (Lemon juice, raw) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .
Lemon juice 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 juice or orange juice contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon juice has 50% less calories than orange juice - lemon juice has 22 calories in 100g and orange juice has 45 calories.
Does lemon juice or orange juice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon juice has 6.9g of carbs for 100g and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.