Cilantro vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Cilantro and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cilantro
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cilantro and watercress:
- Both cilantro and watercress are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
- Cilantro has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than watercress, however, watercress contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cilantro.
- Cilantro has more niacin and folate.
- Cilantro has signficantly more iron than watercress.
- Cilantro is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cilantro (Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cilantro and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - cilantro has 23 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cilantro is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Cilantro has a macronutrient ratio of 27:53:20 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cilantro | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 27% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 53% | 33% |
| Fat | 20% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cilantro and watercress are low in carbohydrates - cilantro has 3.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in cilantro are made of 76% dietary fiber and 24% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Cilantro is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 460% more dietary fiber than watercress - cilantro has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cilantro and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - cilantro has 0.87g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cilantro and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - cilantro has 2.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cilantro and watercress are low in saturated fat - cilantro has 0.01g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both cilantro and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 59% more Vitamin C than cilantro - cilantro has 27mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both cilantro and watercress are high in Vitamin A. Cilantro has 111% more Vitamin A than watercress - cilantro has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cilantro has 150% more Vitamin E than watercress - cilantro has 2.5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both cilantro and watercress are high in Vitamin K. Cilantro has 24% more Vitamin K than watercress - cilantro has 310ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cilantro has more niacin and folate. Both cilantro and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cilantro | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.067 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.162 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 1.114 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.57 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.149 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both cilantro and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 79% more calcium than cilantro - cilantro has 67mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Cilantro has signficantly more iron than watercress - cilantro has 1.8mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both cilantro and watercress are high in potassium. Cilantro has 58% more potassium than watercress - cilantro has 521mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg 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 cilantro and watercress contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Cilantro | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 52.9 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.2 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, cilantro has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than cilantro per 100 grams.
| Cilantro | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3930 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 36 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 865 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cilantro and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cilantro | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.04 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: Cilantro (Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Cilantro g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress 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% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
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 % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 cilantro or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Cilantro and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - cilantro has 23 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is cilantro or watercress better for protein?
Cilantro and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - cilantro has 2.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does cilantro or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cilantro and watercress are low in carbohydrates - cilantro has 3.7g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cilantro are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does cilantro or watercress contain more calcium?
Both cilantro and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 80% more calcium than cilantro - cilantro has 67mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does cilantro or watercress contain more potassium?
Both cilantro and watercress are high in potassium. Cilantro has 60% more potassium than watercress - cilantro has 521mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.