Lemon vs. Orange

Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Orange


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

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

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

  • Both lemon and orange are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
  • Lemon has 73% less sugar than orange.
  • Orange has more thiamin and niacin.
  • Orange is a great source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon and orange 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 Orange (Oranges, raw, Florida) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon src
Image of Orange src

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


Calories and Carbs

calories

Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and orange has 46 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lemon is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to orange for fat. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:83:7 and for orange, 6:91:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lemon Orange
Protein 10% 6%
Carbohydrates 83% 91%
Fat 7% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both lemon and orange are high in dietary fiber. Lemon has 17% more dietary fiber than orange - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange has 2.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lemon has 73% less sugar than orange - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and orange has 9.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and orange has 0.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lemon and orange are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both lemon and orange are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has 18% more Vitamin C than orange - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange has 45mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange has 11ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.

The B Vitamins

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

Lemon Orange
Thiamin 0.04 MG 0.1 MG
Riboflavin 0.02 MG 0.04 MG
Niacin 0.1 MG 0.4 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.19 MG 0.25 MG
Vitamin B6 0.08 MG 0.051 MG
Folate 11 UG 17 UG

Minerals

calcium

Orange is a great source of calcium and it has 65% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange has 43mg of calcium.

iron

Lemon has 567% more iron than orange - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and orange has 0.09mg of iron.

potassium

Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of potassium - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and orange has 169mg 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 orange contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.

Lemon Orange
beta-carotene 3 UG 71 UG
alpha-carotene 1 UG 11 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 11 UG 129 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Lemon Orange
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 per 100 grams.

Lemon Orange
linoleic acid 0.063 G 0.031 G
Total 0.063 G 0.031 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 (Oranges, raw, Florida) .

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choline
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G Water G
G Starch G
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FAQ

Does lemon or orange contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lemon and orange contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and orange has 46 calories.

Does lemon or orange have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and orange contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.