Watermelon vs. Zucchini

Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Zucchini


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of watermelon versus zucchini (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and zucchini:

  • Watermelon has more beta-carotene and lycopene than zucchini, however, zucchini contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon.
  • Zucchini has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of watermelon and zucchini is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Watermelon src
Image of Zucchini src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and zucchini has 17 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Watermelon Zucchini
Protein 7% 24%
Carbohydrates 90% 62%
Fat 4% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Zucchini has 150% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of sugar - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and zucchini has 2.5g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and zucchini has 1.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both watermelon and zucchini are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 121% more Vitamin C than watermelon - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Zucchini has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both watermelon and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.

Watermelon Zucchini
Thiamin 0.033 MG 0.045 MG
Riboflavin 0.021 MG 0.094 MG
Niacin 0.178 MG 0.451 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.221 MG 0.204 MG
Vitamin B6 0.045 MG 0.163 MG
Folate 3 UG 24 UG

Minerals

calcium

Zucchini has 129% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and zucchini has 16mg of calcium.

iron

Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.37mg of iron.

potassium

Zucchini is a great source of potassium and it has 133% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and zucchini has 261mg 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 has more luteolin and kaempferol than zucchini per 100 grams, however, zucchini contains more quercetin than watermelon per 100 grams.

Watermelon Zucchini
luteolin 0.46 mg ~
kaempferol 0.45 mg ~
Quercetin ~ 0.66 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 zucchini per 100 grams, however, zucchini contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams.

Watermelon Zucchini
beta-carotene 303 UG 120 UG
lycopene 4532 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 8 UG 2125 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and zucchini contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Watermelon Zucchini
linoleic acid 0.05 G 0.03 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.001 G
Total 0.05 G 0.031 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 Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) .

Watermelon 154g

( cup, balls )
Daily Values (%)

Zucchini 124g

( cup, chopped )
46KCAL 2%
119% calories
21KCAL 1%
12G 5%
208% carbohydrates
3.9G 2%
0.62G 3%
dietary fiber 94%
1.2G 5%
9.5G 206% sugar 3.1G
0.23G 0.4%
total fat 74%
0.4G 1%
0.02G 0.1%
saturated fat 398%
0.1G 1%
0.06G 495% monounsaturated fat 0.01G
0.08G polyunsaturated fat 37% 0.11G
1.5MG 0.1%
sodium 560%
9.9MG 1%
Vitamins and Minerals
43UG 6%
258% Vitamin A
12UG 2%
12MG 17%
Vitamin C 83%
22MG 30%
11MG 1%
calcium 82%
20MG 2%
0.37MG 2%
iron 24%
0.46MG 3%
15MG 5%
magnesium 47%
22MG 7%
172MG 8%
potassium 88%
324MG 14%
0.05MG 5%
thiamin (Vit B1) 20%
0.06MG 5%
0.03MG 3%
riboflavin (Vit B2) 299%
0.12MG 11%
0.27MG 2%
niacin (Vit B3) 107%
0.56MG 4%
0.07MG 5%
Vitamin B6 185%
0.2MG 16%
0.34MG 7%
36% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.25MG 5%
4.6UG 1%
folate (Vit B9) 552%
30UG 7%
0.08MG 1%
Vitamin E 87%
0.15MG 1%
0.15UG 0.2%
Vitamin K >999%
5.3UG 6%
0.94G 2%
protein 60%
1.5G 3%
6.3MG 2%
choline 90%
12MG 3%
0.06MG 5%
copper 17%
0.07MG 6%
2.3UG 0.1%
>999% fluoride
0.06MG 3%
manganese 266%
0.22MG 12%
17MG 2%
phosphorus 176%
47MG 7%
0.62UG 1%
148% selenium
0.25UG 1%
0.15MG 2%
zinc 167%
0.4MG 5%
141G 19% Water 118G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Starch, Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol, trans fat.

FAQ

Does watermelon or zucchini contain more calories in 100 grams?
Watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and zucchini has 17 calories.

Does watermelon or zucchini have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and zucchini contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.