Butterhead Lettuce vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Butterhead Lettuce and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
butterhead lettuce
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butterhead lettuce and watercress:
- Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K and potassium.
- Butterhead lettuce has more niacin and folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Butterhead lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, butterhead lettuce is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Butterhead lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 33:57:11 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Butterhead Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 33% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 57% | 33% |
| Fat | 11% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 54% dietary fiber and 46% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Butterhead lettuce has 120% more dietary fiber than watercress - butterhead lettuce has 1.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Butterhead lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - butterhead lettuce has 0.94g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Butterhead lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are low in saturated fat - butterhead lettuce has 0.03g 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 10 times more Vitamin C than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 3.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are high in Vitamin A. Butterhead lettuce has a little more Vitamin A (4%) than watercress by weight - butterhead lettuce has 166ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Butterhead lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - butterhead lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are high in Vitamin K. Watercress has 144% more Vitamin K than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 102.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Butterhead lettuce has more niacin and folate. Both butterhead lettuce and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.057 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.062 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.357 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.15 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.082 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 73 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 243% more calcium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Butterhead lettuce has 520% more iron than watercress - butterhead lettuce has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 39% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg 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,
| Butterhead Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.02 mg | 23.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.73 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 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, both butterhead lettuce and watercress contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1987 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1223 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, butterhead lettuce has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.083 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.083 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.034 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.034 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: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Butterhead Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress 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 | 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% |
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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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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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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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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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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 % |
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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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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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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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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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| 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 butterhead lettuce or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Butterhead lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is butterhead lettuce or watercress better for protein?
Butterhead lettuce and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does butterhead lettuce or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both butterhead lettuce and watercress are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does butterhead lettuce or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does butterhead lettuce or watercress contain more potassium?
Both butterhead lettuce and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 40% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.