Lemon vs. Orange Juice
Nutrition comparison of Lemon 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
versus
orange juice
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and orange juice:
- Both lemon and orange juice are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon has 70% less sugar than orange juice.
- Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Orange juice has more niacin and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and orange juice has 45 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to orange juice for fat. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for orange juice, 6:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 90% |
| Fat | 6% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 13 times more dietary fiber than orange juice - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon has 70% less sugar than orange juice - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and orange juice has 8.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and orange juice are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and orange juice are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has a little more Vitamin C (6%) than orange juice by weight - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange juice has 50mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange juice has 10ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Orange juice and lemon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - orange juice has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Orange juice has more niacin and folate. Both lemon and orange juice contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Lemon | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.19 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.04 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 30 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon has 136% more calcium than orange juice - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange juice has 11mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and orange juice has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Orange juice has 45% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg 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,
| Lemon | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 1.9 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.03 mg | ~ |
| myricetin | 0.5 mg | 0.05 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.14 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, both lemon and orange juice contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Lemon | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 33 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 6 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 115 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lemon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than orange juice per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.011 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than orange juice per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Orange Juice | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.029 G |
| Total | 0.063 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 (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Orange Juice (Orange juice, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .
Lemon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Orange Juice 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 lemon or orange juice contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and orange juice has 45 calories.
Does lemon or orange juice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and orange juice contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and orange juice has 10.4g of carbohydrates.