Radishes vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Radishes and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
radishes
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in radishes and watercress:
- Both radishes and watercress are high in Vitamin C and potassium.
- Watercress has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, radish contains more folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Radishes (Radishes, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Radishes and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - radish has 16 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, radishes is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Radishes has a macronutrient ratio of 16:79:5 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Radishes | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 16% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 79% | 33% |
| Fat | 5% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both radishes and watercress are low in carbohydrates - radish has 3.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in radishes are made of 54% sugar and 46% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Radish has 220% more dietary fiber than watercress - radish has 1.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Radishes and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - radish has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watercress has 238% more protein than radish - radish has 0.68g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both radishes and watercress are low in saturated fat - radish has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both radishes and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 191% more Vitamin C than radish - radish has 14.8mg 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 radish - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and radish does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Watercress has more Vitamin E than radish - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and radish does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 191 times more Vitamin K than radish - radish has 1.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, radish contains more folate. Both radishes and watercress contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Radishes | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.012 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.039 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.254 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.165 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.071 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 25 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 380% more calcium than radish - radish has 25mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Radishes and watercress contain similar amounts of iron - radish has 0.34mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both radishes and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 42% more potassium than radish - radish has 233mg 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,
| Radishes | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.86 mg | 23.03 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 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,
| Radishes | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 4 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 10 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both radishes and watercress contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Radishes | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.031 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.031 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both radishes and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Radishes | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.017 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: Radishes (Radishes, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Radishes 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 radishes or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Radishes and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - radish has 16 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is radishes or watercress better for protein?
Watercress has 240% more protein than radish - radish has 0.68g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does radishes or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both radishes and watercress are low in carbohydrates - radish has 3.4g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in radishes are made of 50% sugar and 50% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does radishes or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 380% more calcium than radish - radish has 25mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does radishes or watercress contain more potassium?
Both radishes and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 40% more potassium than radish - radish has 233mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.