Lemon vs. Lemon Zest
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Lemon Zest
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
lemon zest
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and lemon zest:
- Both lemon and lemon zest are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Lemon zest has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
- Lemon zest is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and lemon zest has 47 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to lemon zest for protein. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for lemon zest, 9:91:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Lemon Zest | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 91% |
| Fat | 6% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon has 42% less carbohydrates than lemon zest - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and lemon zest has 16g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lemon and lemon zest are high in dietary fiber. Lemon zest has 279% more dietary fiber than lemon - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lemon zest has 10.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and lemon zest has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and lemon zest has 1.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and lemon zest are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lemon zest has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and lemon zest are high in Vitamin C. Lemon zest has 143% more Vitamin C than lemon - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lemon zest has 129mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lemon zest has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lemon zest has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
The B Vitamins
Lemon zest has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both lemon and lemon zest contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Lemon | Lemon Zest | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.319 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.172 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 13 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon zest is an excellent source of calcium and it has 415% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and lemon zest has 134mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and lemon zest has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and lemon zest has 160mg 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, both lemon and lemon zest contain small amounts of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Lemon | Lemon Zest | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 7 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 1 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 18 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both lemon and lemon zest contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lemon | Lemon Zest | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.026 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both lemon and lemon zest contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Lemon | Lemon Zest | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.063 G |
| Total | 0.063 G | 0.063 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 (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) .
Lemon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Lemon Zest 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 % |
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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 % |
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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 % |
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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 lemon or lemon zest contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and lemon zest contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and lemon zest has 47 calories.
Does lemon or lemon zest have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon has 40% fewer carbohydrates than lemon zest - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and lemon zest has 16g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon or lemon zest contain more calcium?
Lemon zest is a rich source of calcium and it has 420% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium in 100 grams and lemon zest has 134mg of calcium.