Cantaloupe vs. Watermelon
Nutrition comparison of Cantaloupe and Watermelon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cantaloupe
versus
watermelon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cantaloupe and watermelon:
- Cantaloupe has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than cantaloupe.
- Cantaloupe has more niacin and folate.
- Cantaloupe is a great source of potassium.
- Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cantaloupe is similar to watermelon for protein, carbs and fat. Cantaloupe has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:4 and for watermelon, 7:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cantaloupe | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 90% |
| Fat | 4% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 8.2g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cantaloupe comprise of 89% sugar and 10% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Cantaloupe has 125% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of sugar - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 7.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.84g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and cantaloupe are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 353% more Vitamin C than watermelon - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 36.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 504% more Vitamin A than watermelon - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 169ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.05mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cantaloupe has more niacin and folate. Both cantaloupe and watermelon contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cantaloupe | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.019 MG | 0.021 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.105 MG | 0.221 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.072 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Folate | 21 UG | 3 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of calcium - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 9mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Cantaloupe is a great source of potassium and it has 138% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 267mg 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 cantaloupe and watermelon contain significant amounts of luteolin.
| Cantaloupe | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.64 mg | 0.46 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.07 mg | 0.45 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.01 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, cantaloupe has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than cantaloupe per 100 grams.
| Cantaloupe | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2020 UG | 303 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 16 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 26 UG | 8 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 4532 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cantaloupe and watermelon contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cantaloupe | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.035 G | 0.05 G |
| Total | 0.035 G | 0.05 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: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) .
Cantaloupe g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watermelon 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 % |
|
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 % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 watermelon or cantaloupe contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and cantaloupe has 34 calories.
Does watermelon or cantaloupe have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and cantaloupe has 8.2g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cantaloupe comprise of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber.