Papaya vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Papaya and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
papaya
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in papaya and zucchini:
- Both zucchini and papaya are high in Vitamin C.
- Papaya has more beta-carotene and lycopene than zucchini, however, zucchini contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than papaya.
- Zucchini has 60% less calories than papaya.
- Zucchini has 68% less sugar than papaya.
- Zucchini has 71% less carbohydrates than papaya.
- Zucchini has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
- Zucchini is a great source of potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Zucchini has 60% less calories than papaya - zucchini has 17 calories per 100 grams and papaya has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, papaya is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Papaya has a macronutrient ratio of 4:91:5 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Papaya | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 4% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 62% |
| Fat | 5% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Zucchini has 71% less carbohydrates than papaya - zucchini has 3.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Papaya has 70% more dietary fiber than zucchini - zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Zucchini has 68% less sugar than papaya - zucchini has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and papaya has 7.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Zucchini and papaya contain similar amounts of protein - zucchini has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and papaya has 0.47g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both zucchini and papaya are low in saturated fat - zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat per 100 grams and papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both zucchini and papaya are high in Vitamin C. Papaya has 240% more Vitamin C than zucchini - zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Papaya has 370% more Vitamin A than zucchini - zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Zucchini and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Zucchini and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Zucchini has more riboflavin and Vitamin B6. Both papaya and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Papaya | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 0.357 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.191 MG | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 37 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Zucchini and papaya contain similar amounts of calcium - zucchini has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and papaya has 20mg of calcium.
iron
Zucchini and papaya contain similar amounts of iron - zucchini has 0.37mg of iron per 100 grams and papaya has 0.25mg of iron.
potassium
Zucchini is a great source of potassium and it has 43% more potassium than papaya - zucchini has 261mg of potassium per 100 grams and papaya has 182mg 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,
| Papaya | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| myricetin | 0.02 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | ~ | 0.66 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, papaya has more beta-carotene and lycopene than zucchini per 100 grams, however, zucchini contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than papaya per 100 grams.
| Papaya | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 274 UG | 120 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 2 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1828 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 89 UG | 2125 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both papaya and zucchini contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Papaya | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.061 G |
| Total | 0.047 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both papaya and zucchini contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Papaya | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.031 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.
Papaya g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Zucchini g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 zucchini or papaya contain more calories in 100 grams?Zucchini has 60% less calories than papaya - zucchini has 17 calories in 100g and papaya has 43 calories.
Does zucchini or papaya have more carbohydrates?
By weight, zucchini has 70% fewer carbohydrates than papaya - zucchini has 3.1g of carbs for 100g and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.