Russet Potato vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Russet Potato and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
russet potato
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in russet potato and zucchini:
- Both zucchini and russet potato are high in potassium.
- Zucchini has 3.6 times less calories than russet potato.
- Zucchini has 4.8 times less carbohydrates than russet potato.
- Zucchini has more riboflavin, however, russet potato contains more niacin and Vitamin B6.
- Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Zucchini has 3.6 times less calories than russet potato - zucchini has 17 calories per 100 grams and russet potato has 79 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, russet potato is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Russet potato has a macronutrient ratio of 11:89:1 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Russet Potato | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 89% | 62% |
| Fat | 1% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Zucchini has 4.8 times less carbohydrates than russet potato - zucchini has 3.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in zucchini are made of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 89% starch, 7% dietary fiber and 3% sugar.
dietary fiber
Zucchini and russet potato contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Zucchini and russet potato contain similar amounts of sugar - zucchini has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Zucchini and russet potato contain similar amounts of protein - zucchini has 1.2g of protein per 100 grams and russet potato has 2.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both zucchini and russet potato are low in saturated fat - zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 214% more Vitamin C than russet potato - zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and russet potato has 5.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Zucchini has more Vitamin A than russet potato - zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and russet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Zucchini and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Zucchini and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Zucchini has more riboflavin, however, russet potato contains more niacin and Vitamin B6. Both russet potato and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Russet Potato | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.082 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 1.035 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.301 MG | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.345 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 14 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Zucchini and russet potato contain similar amounts of calcium - zucchini has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and russet potato has 13mg of calcium.
iron
Russet potato has 132% more iron than zucchini - zucchini has 0.37mg of iron per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.
potassium
Both zucchini and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 60% more potassium than zucchini - zucchini has 261mg of potassium per 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Russet Potato | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5 UG | 2125 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 120 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, zucchini has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than russet potato per 100 grams.
| Russet Potato | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.061 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both russet potato and zucchini contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Russet Potato | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.032 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.032 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) .
Russet Potato 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 % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
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% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 russet potato contain more calories in 100 grams?Zucchini has 3.6 times less calories than russet potato - zucchini has 17 calories in 100g and russet potato has 79 calories.
Does zucchini or russet potato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, zucchini has 4.8 times fewer carbohydrates than russet potato - zucchini has 3.1g of carbs for 100g and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in zucchini are made of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 90% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.
Does zucchini or russet potato contain more potassium?
Both zucchini and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 60% more potassium than zucchini - zucchini has 261mg of potassium in 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.