Parsley vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Parsley and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
parsley
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in parsley and watercress:
- Both watercress and parsley are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
- Parsley has more niacin and folate.
- Parsley is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Watercress has 69% less calories than parsley.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Parsley (Parsley, fresh) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 69% less calories than parsley - watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams and parsley has 36 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, parsley is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Parsley has a macronutrient ratio of 27:57:17 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Parsley | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 57% | 33% |
| Fat | 17% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress and parsley contain similar amounts of carbs - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and parsley has 6.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Parsley is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 560% more dietary fiber than watercress - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and parsley has 3.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress and parsley contain similar amounts of sugar - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and parsley has 0.85g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watercress and parsley contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and parsley has 3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watercress and parsley are low in saturated fat - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parsley has 0.13g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both watercress and parsley are high in Vitamin C. Parsley has 209% more Vitamin C than watercress - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and parsley has 133mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both watercress and parsley are high in Vitamin A. Parsley has 163% more Vitamin A than watercress - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and parsley has 421ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watercress and parsley contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parsley has 0.75mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both watercress and parsley are high in Vitamin K. Parsley has 556% more Vitamin K than watercress - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parsley has 1640ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Parsley has more niacin and folate. Both parsley and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Parsley | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.086 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.098 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 1.313 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.4 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.09 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 152 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both watercress and parsley are high in calcium. Parsley has 15% more calcium than watercress - watercress has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and parsley has 138mg of calcium.
iron
Parsley is an excellent source of iron and it has 30 times more iron than watercress - watercress has 0.2mg of iron per 100 grams and parsley has 6.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both watercress and parsley are high in potassium. Parsley has 68% more potassium than watercress - watercress has 330mg of potassium per 100 grams and parsley has 554mg 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, parsley has more apigenin, luteolin and myricetin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol and quercetin than parsley per 100 grams.
| Parsley | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 215.46 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 1.09 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 1.49 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 14.84 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.28 mg | 29.99 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 parsley and watercress contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Parsley | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5054 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 5561 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than parsley per 100 grams.
| Parsley | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.008 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, parsley has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Parsley | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.115 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.115 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: Parsley (Parsley, fresh) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Parsley g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
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 % |
|
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 % |
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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 % |
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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% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 % |
|
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 watercress or parsley contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than parsley - watercress has 11 calories in 100g and parsley has 36 calories.
Is watercress or parsley better for protein?
Watercress and parsley contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and parsley has 3g of protein.
Does watercress or parsley have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress and parsley contain similar amounts of carbs - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and parsley has 6.3g of carbohydrates.
Does watercress or parsley contain more calcium?
Both watercress and parsley are high in calcium. Parsley has 20% more calcium than watercress - watercress has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and parsley has 138mg of calcium.
Does watercress or parsley contain more iron?
Parsley is an abundant source of iron and it has 30 times more iron than watercress - watercress has 0.2mg of iron in 100 grams and parsley has 6.2mg of iron.
Does watercress or parsley contain more potassium?
Both watercress and parsley are high in potassium. Parsley has 70% more potassium than watercress - watercress has 330mg of potassium in 100 grams and parsley has 554mg of potassium.