Lemon juice vs. Orange Juice

Nutrition comparison of Lemon Juice and Orange Juice


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon juice and orange juice:

  • Both lemon juice and orange juice are high in Vitamin C.
  • Lemon juice has 51% less calories than orange juice.
  • Lemon juice has 70% less sugar than orange juice.
  • Orange juice has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon juice and orange juice 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: Lemon juice (Lemon juice, raw) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon juice src
Image of Orange Juice src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between lemon juice and orange juice. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Lemon juice has 51% less calories than orange juice - lemon juice has 22 calories per 100 grams and orange juice has 45 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lemon juice is similar to orange juice for protein, carbs and fat. Lemon juice has a macronutrient ratio of 5:88:7 and for orange juice, 6:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lemon juice Orange Juice
Protein 5% 6%
Carbohydrates 88% 90%
Fat 7% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon juice has 6.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - lemon juice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lemon juice has 70% less sugar than orange juice - lemon juice has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and orange juice has 8.4g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of protein - lemon juice has 0.35g of protein per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lemon juice and orange juice are low in saturated fat - lemon juice has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.02g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both lemon juice and orange juice are high in Vitamin C. Orange juice has 29% more Vitamin C than lemon juice - lemon juice has 38.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange juice has 50mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Orange juice has more Vitamin A than lemon juice - orange juice has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon juice has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Orange juice and lemon juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - orange juice has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Orange juice has more thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Both lemon juice and orange juice contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Lemon juice Orange Juice
Thiamin 0.024 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.015 MG 0.03 MG
Niacin 0.091 MG 0.4 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.131 MG 0.19 MG
Vitamin B6 0.046 MG 0.04 MG
Folate 20 UG 30 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of calcium - lemon juice has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange juice has 11mg of calcium.

iron

Lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of iron - lemon juice has 0.08mg of iron per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2mg of iron.

potassium

Orange juice has 94% more potassium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 103mg of potassium per 100 grams and orange juice has 200mg 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 lemon juice and orange juice contain significant amounts of quercetin.

Lemon juice Orange Juice
myricetin 0.02 mg 0.05 mg
Quercetin 0.37 mg 0.25 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,

Lemon juice Orange Juice
beta-carotene 1 UG 33 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 15 UG 115 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 6 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both lemon juice and orange juice contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Lemon juice Orange Juice
alpha linoleic acid 0.009 G 0.011 G
Total 0.009 G 0.011 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lemon juice and orange juice contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Lemon juice Orange Juice
linoleic acid 0.012 G 0.029 G
Total 0.012 G 0.029 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: Lemon juice (Lemon juice, raw) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .

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G Water G
G Starch G
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FAQ

Does lemon juice or orange juice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lemon juice has 50% less calories than orange juice - lemon juice has 22 calories in 100g and orange juice has 45 calories.

Does lemon juice or orange juice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon juice and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon juice has 6.9g of carbs for 100g and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.