Cucumber vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Cucumber and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cucumber
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cucumber and zucchini:
- Zucchini has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and zucchini has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cucumber is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Cucumber has a macronutrient ratio of 15:80:5 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cucumber | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 80% | 62% |
| Fat | 5% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cucumber and zucchini are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in cucumber are made of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Zucchini has 100% more dietary fiber than cucumber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of sugar - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and zucchini has 2.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of protein - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and zucchini has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cucumber and zucchini are low in saturated fat - cucumber has 0.04g 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 539% more Vitamin C than cucumber - cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cucumber has 16.4ug 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 cucumber and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.
| Cucumber | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 0.098 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 MG | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 7 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of calcium - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and zucchini has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of iron - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.37mg of iron.
potassium
Zucchini is a great source of potassium and it has 78% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium per 100 grams and zucchini has 261mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Cucumber | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 45 UG | 120 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 11 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 UG | 2125 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, zucchini has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cucumber per 100 grams.
| Cucumber | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.061 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cucumber and zucchini contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cucumber | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.028 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.028 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.
Cucumber g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Zucchini 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 cucumber or zucchini contain more calories in 100 grams?Cucumber and zucchini contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and zucchini has 17 calories.
Does cucumber or zucchini have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cucumber and zucchini are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cucumber are made of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.