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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon and lemon zest 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 (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon src
Image of Lemon Zest src

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

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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.

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