Lemon juice vs. Lemon Zest

Nutrition comparison of Lemon Juice 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 juice versus lemon zest (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both lemon juice and lemon zest are high in Vitamin C.
  • Lemon juice has 53% less calories than lemon zest.
  • Lemon juice has 57% less carbohydrates than lemon zest.
  • Lemon zest has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
  • Lemon zest is an excellent source of calcium and dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon juice 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 juice (Lemon juice, raw) and Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon juice src
Image of Lemon Zest src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lemon juice has 53% less calories than lemon zest - lemon juice has 22 calories per 100 grams and lemon zest has 47 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lemon juice is similar to lemon zest for protein, carbs and fat. Lemon juice has a macronutrient ratio of 8:92:0 and for lemon zest, 9:91:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lemon juice Lemon Zest
Protein 8% 9%
Carbohydrates 92% 91%
Fat ~ ~
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lemon juice has 57% less carbohydrates than lemon zest - lemon juice has 6.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and lemon zest has 16g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Lemon zest is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 34 times more dietary fiber than lemon juice - lemon juice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lemon zest has 10.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lemon juice and lemon zest contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon juice has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and lemon zest has 4.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lemon juice and lemon zest contain similar amounts of protein - lemon juice has 0.35g of protein per 100 grams and lemon zest has 1.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both lemon juice and lemon zest are high in Vitamin C. Lemon zest has 233% more Vitamin C than lemon juice - lemon juice has 38.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lemon zest has 129mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Lemon zest and lemon juice contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon zest has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lemon juice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Lemon juice and lemon zest contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon juice 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 thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both lemon juice and lemon zest contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and folate.

Lemon juice Lemon Zest
Thiamin 0.024 MG 0.06 MG
Riboflavin 0.015 MG 0.08 MG
Niacin 0.091 MG 0.4 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.131 MG 0.319 MG
Vitamin B6 0.046 MG 0.172 MG
Folate 20 UG 13 UG

Minerals

calcium

Lemon zest is an excellent source of calcium and it has 21 times more calcium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and lemon zest has 134mg of calcium.

iron

Lemon zest has 900% more iron than lemon juice - lemon juice has 0.08mg of iron per 100 grams and lemon zest has 0.8mg of iron.

potassium

Lemon zest has 55% more potassium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 103mg 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 juice and lemon zest contain small amounts of beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.

Lemon juice Lemon Zest
beta-carotene 1 UG 7 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 15 UG 18 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 1 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Lemon juice Lemon Zest
alpha linoleic acid 0.009 G 0.026 G
Total 0.009 G 0.026 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon zest has more linoleic acid than lemon juice per 100 grams.

Lemon juice Lemon Zest
linoleic acid 0.012 G 0.063 G
Total 0.012 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 juice (Lemon juice, raw) and Lemon Zest (Lemon peel, raw) .

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FAQ

Does lemon juice or lemon zest contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lemon juice has 50% less calories than lemon zest - lemon juice has 22 calories in 100g and lemon zest has 47 calories.

Does lemon juice or lemon zest have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon juice has 60% fewer carbohydrates than lemon zest - lemon juice has 6.9g of carbs for 100g and lemon zest has 16g of carbohydrates.

Does lemon juice or lemon zest contain more calcium?
Lemon zest is a rich source of calcium and it has 21 times more calcium than lemon juice - lemon juice has 6mg of calcium in 100 grams and lemon zest has 134mg of calcium.