Flaxseeds vs. Watercress

Nutrition comparison of Flaxseeds and Watercress


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flaxseeds and watercress:

  • Both flaxseeds and watercress are high in calcium and potassium.
  • Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Flaxseed is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
  • Watercress has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed.
  • Watercress has signficantly less saturated fat than flaxseed.
  • Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
Detailed nutritional comparison of flaxseeds and watercress 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: Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Flaxseeds src
Image of Watercress src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Flaxseed is high in calories and watercress has 98% less calories than flaxseed - flaxseed has 534 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, flaxseeds is much lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Flaxseeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:66 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Flaxseeds Watercress
Protein 13% 67%
Carbohydrates 21% 33%
Fat 66% ~
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Watercress has signficantly less carbohydrates than flaxseed - flaxseed has 28.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in flaxseeds are made of 95% dietary fiber and 5% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.

dietary fiber

Flaxseed is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 53 times more dietary fiber than watercress - flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Flaxseeds and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Flaxseed is an excellent source of protein and it has 695% more protein than watercress - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Watercress has signficantly less saturated fat than flaxseed - flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 70 times more Vitamin C than flaxseed - flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than flaxseed - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Flaxseeds and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 57 times more Vitamin K than flaxseed - flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Flaxseed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both flaxseeds and watercress contain significant amounts of riboflavin.

Flaxseeds Watercress
Thiamin 1.644 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.161 MG 0.12 MG
Niacin 3.08 MG 0.2 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.985 MG 0.31 MG
Vitamin B6 0.473 MG 0.129 MG
Folate 87 UG 9 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both flaxseeds and watercress are high in calcium. Flaxseed has 113% more calcium than watercress - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.

iron

Flaxseed is an excellent source of iron and it has 27 times more iron than watercress - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.

potassium

Both flaxseeds and watercress are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 146% more potassium than watercress - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg 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,

Flaxseeds Watercress
lutein + zeaxanthin 651 UG 5767 UG
beta-carotene ~ 1914 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.

Flaxseeds Watercress
alpha linoleic acid 22.813 G 0.023 G
Total 22.813 G 0.023 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.

Flaxseeds Watercress
other omega 6 0.007 G ~
linoleic acid 5.903 G 0.012 G
Total 5.91 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: Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .

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FAQ

Does flaxseeds or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?
Flaxseed is high in calories and watercress has 100% less calories than flaxseed - flaxseed has 534 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.

Is flaxseeds or watercress better for protein?
Flaxseed is a fantastic source of protein and it has 700% more protein than watercress - flaxseed has 18.3g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.

Does flaxseeds or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than flaxseed - flaxseed has 28.9g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in flaxseeds are made of 100% dietary fiber and 10% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.

Does flaxseeds or watercress contain more calcium?
Both flaxseeds and watercress are high in calcium. Flaxseed has 110% more calcium than watercress - flaxseed has 255mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.

Does flaxseeds or watercress contain more iron?
Flaxseed is an abundant source of iron and it has 27 times more iron than watercress - flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron in 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.

Does flaxseeds or watercress contain more potassium?
Both flaxseeds and watercress are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 150% more potassium than watercress - flaxseed has 813mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.

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