Tomato vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Tomato and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tomato
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tomato and watercress:
- Both watercress and tomato are high in Vitamin C and potassium.
- Watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than tomato, however, tomato contains more alpha-carotene and lycopene than watercress.
- Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, tomato contains more niacin.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tomato (Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of calories - watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams and tomato has 18 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tomato is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Tomato has a macronutrient ratio of 17:74:10 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tomato | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 17% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 74% | 33% |
| Fat | 10% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both watercress and tomato are low in carbohydrates - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and tomato has 3.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watercress are made of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar, whereas the carbs in tomato comprise of 69% sugar and 31% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Tomato has 140% more dietary fiber than watercress - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tomato has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of sugar - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and tomato has 2.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and tomato has 0.88g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watercress and tomato are low in saturated fat - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tomato has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both watercress and tomato are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 214% more Vitamin C than tomato - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tomato has 13.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 281% more Vitamin A than tomato - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tomato has 42ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tomato has 0.54mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 30 times more Vitamin K than tomato - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tomato has 7.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, tomato contains more niacin. Both tomato and watercress contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Tomato | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.037 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.019 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.594 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.089 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than tomato - watercress has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and tomato has 10mg of calcium.
iron
Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of iron - watercress has 0.2mg of iron per 100 grams and tomato has 0.27mg of iron.
potassium
Both watercress and tomato are high in potassium. Watercress has 39% more potassium than tomato - watercress has 330mg of potassium per 100 grams and tomato has 237mg 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 tomato and watercress contain small amounts of myricetin.
| Tomato | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.09 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.13 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.58 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 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, watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than tomato per 100 grams, however, tomato contains more alpha-carotene and lycopene than watercress per 100 grams.
| Tomato | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 101 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 2573 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 123 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than tomato per 100 grams.
| Tomato | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.003 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.003 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tomato has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Tomato | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.08 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.08 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: Tomato (Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Tomato 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 % | |
| 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 % |
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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% |
|
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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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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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| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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| 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% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 tomato contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of calories - watercress has 11 calories in 100g and tomato has 18 calories.
Is watercress or tomato better for protein?
Watercress and tomato contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and tomato has 0.88g of protein.
Does watercress or tomato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both watercress and tomato are low in carbohydrates - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and tomato has 3.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watercress are made of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar, whereas the carbs in tomato comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does watercress or tomato contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than tomato - watercress has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and tomato has 10mg of calcium.
Does watercress or tomato contain more potassium?
Both watercress and tomato are high in potassium. Watercress has 40% more potassium than tomato - watercress has 330mg of potassium in 100 grams and tomato has 237mg of potassium.