Watermelon vs. Red Bell Pepper
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Red Bell Pepper
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
red bell pepper
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and red bell pepper:
- Red bell pepper has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than red bell pepper.
- Red bell pepper has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Red bell pepper is a great source of dietary fiber and potassium.
- Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 26 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to red bell pepper per calorie. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for red bell pepper, 13:79:8 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 79% |
| Fat | 4% | 8% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in red bell pepper comprise of 67% sugar and 33% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Red bell pepper is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 425% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 2.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of sugar - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.99g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and red bell pepper are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 14 times more Vitamin C than watermelon - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 127.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 461% more Vitamin A than watermelon - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 157ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Red bell pepper has 30 times more Vitamin E than watermelon - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 1.6mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Red bell pepper has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both watermelon and red bell pepper contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.
| Watermelon | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.054 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.085 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.979 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.317 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.291 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 46 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calcium - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.43mg of iron.
potassium
Red bell pepper is a great source of potassium and it has 88% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 211mg 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 kaempferol than red bell pepper per 100 grams, however, red bell pepper contains more quercetin than watermelon per 100 grams. Both watermelon and red bell pepper contain significant amounts of luteolin.
| Watermelon | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.46 mg | 0.61 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 0.23 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, red bell pepper has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than red bell pepper per 100 grams.
| Watermelon | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 1624 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | 51 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 20 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and red bell pepper contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Red Bell Pepper | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.1 G |
| Total | 0.05 G | 0.1 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 Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) .
Watermelon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Red Bell Pepper g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does watermelon or red bell pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and red bell pepper has 26 calories.
Does watermelon or red bell pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in red bell pepper comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.