Watermelon vs. Cucumber
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Cucumber
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
cucumber
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and cucumber:
- Cucumber has 73% less sugar than watermelon.
- Watermelon has more beta-carotene and lycopene than cucumber, however, cucumber contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and cucumber has 15 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to cucumber for fat. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for cucumber, 15:80:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 80% |
| Fat | 4% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber has 73% less sugar than watermelon - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cucumber has 1.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.65g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and cucumber are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watermelon has 189% more Vitamin C than cucumber - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watermelon has 460% more Vitamin A than cucumber - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Both watermelon and cucumber contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Watermelon | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.098 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.259 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 7 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cucumber has 129% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and cucumber has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.28mg of iron.
potassium
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of potassium - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and cucumber has 147mg 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,
| Watermelon | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.46 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 0.13 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 0.04 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, watermelon has more beta-carotene and lycopene than cucumber per 100 grams, however, cucumber contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams.
| Watermelon | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 45 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | 23 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 11 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and cucumber contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Cucumber | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.028 G |
| Total | 0.05 G | 0.028 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) .
Watermelon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cucumber 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 watermelon or cucumber contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and cucumber has 15 calories.
Does watermelon or cucumber have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber.