Romaine Lettuce vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Romaine Lettuce and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
romaine lettuce
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in romaine lettuce and watercress:
- Both romaine lettuce and watercress are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K and potassium.
- Romaine lettuce has more beta-carotene than watercress, however, watercress contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than romaine lettuce.
- Romaine lettuce has more folate.
- Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Romaine lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, romaine lettuce is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Romaine lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 26:65:10 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Romaine Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 33% |
| Fat | 10% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both romaine lettuce and watercress are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Romaine lettuce is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 320% more dietary fiber than watercress - romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Romaine lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Romaine lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both romaine lettuce and watercress are low in saturated fat - romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 975% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both romaine lettuce and watercress are high in Vitamin A. Romaine lettuce has 173% more Vitamin A than watercress - romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Romaine lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both romaine lettuce and watercress are high in Vitamin K. Watercress has 144% more Vitamin K than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Romaine lettuce has more folate. Both romaine lettuce and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Romaine Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.072 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.067 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.313 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.142 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.074 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 136 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 264% more calcium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Romaine lettuce has 385% more iron than watercress - romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both romaine lettuce and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 34% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg 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, both romaine lettuce and watercress contain small amounts of luteolin.
| Romaine Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.05 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.02 mg | 23.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.2 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.2 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, romaine lettuce has more beta-carotene than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.
| Romaine Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5226 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 2312 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, romaine lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Romaine Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.113 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.113 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both romaine lettuce and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Romaine Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.047 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: Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Romaine Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
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% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
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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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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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 % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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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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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 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 romaine lettuce or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Romaine lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - romaine lettuce has 17 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is romaine lettuce or watercress better for protein?
Romaine lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does romaine lettuce or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both romaine lettuce and watercress are low in carbohydrates - romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in romaine lettuce are made of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does romaine lettuce or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 260% more calcium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does romaine lettuce or watercress contain more potassium?
Both romaine lettuce and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 30% more potassium than romaine lettuce - romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.