Cucumber vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Cucumber and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cucumber
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cucumber and watercress:
- Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cucumber is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Cucumber has a macronutrient ratio of 15:80:5 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cucumber | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 80% | 33% |
| Fat | 5% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cucumber and watercress are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in cucumber are made of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watercress has 254% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cucumber and watercress are low in saturated fat - cucumber 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 14 times more Vitamin C than cucumber - cucumber has 2.8mg 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 31 times more Vitamin A than cucumber - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 14 times more Vitamin K than cucumber - cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6. Both cucumber and watercress contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Cucumber | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.098 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 7 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 650% more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of iron - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Watercress is an excellent source of potassium and it has 124% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg 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,
| Cucumber | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.13 mg | 23.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.04 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,
| Cucumber | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 45 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 11 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cucumber per 100 grams.
| Cucumber | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cucumber and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cucumber | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.028 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.028 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: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Cucumber 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 cucumber or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is cucumber or watercress better for protein?
Watercress has 250% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does cucumber or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cucumber and watercress are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cucumber are made of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does cucumber or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 650% more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does cucumber or watercress contain more potassium?
Watercress is a rich source of potassium and it has 120% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.