Cantaloupe vs. Papaya

Nutrition comparison of Cantaloupe and Papaya


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cantaloupe and papaya:

  • Both cantaloupe and papaya are high in Vitamin C.
  • Cantaloupe has more beta-carotene than papaya, however, papaya contains more lutein + zeaxanthin and lycopene than cantaloupe.
  • Cantaloupe is a great source of potassium.
  • Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cantaloupe and papaya 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: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Papaya (Papayas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cantaloupe src
Image of Papaya src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - cantaloupe has 34 calories per 100 grams and papaya has 43 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cantaloupe is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to papaya for fat. Cantaloupe has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:4 and for papaya, 4:91:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cantaloupe Papaya
Protein 9% 4%
Carbohydrates 87% 91%
Fat 4% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - cantaloupe has 8.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Papaya has 89% more dietary fiber than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 0.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of sugar - cantaloupe has 7.9g of sugar per 100 grams and papaya has 7.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of protein - cantaloupe has 0.84g of protein per 100 grams and papaya has 0.47g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both cantaloupe and papaya are low in saturated fat - cantaloupe has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both cantaloupe and papaya are high in Vitamin C. Papaya has 66% more Vitamin C than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 36.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 260% more Vitamin A than papaya - cantaloupe has 169ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cantaloupe has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cantaloupe has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Both cantaloupe and papaya contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Cantaloupe Papaya
Thiamin 0.041 MG 0.023 MG
Riboflavin 0.019 MG 0.027 MG
Niacin 0.734 MG 0.357 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.105 MG 0.191 MG
Vitamin B6 0.072 MG 0.038 MG
Folate 21 UG 37 UG

Minerals

calcium

Papaya has 122% more calcium than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 9mg of calcium per 100 grams and papaya has 20mg of calcium.

iron

Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of iron - cantaloupe has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and papaya has 0.25mg of iron.

potassium

Cantaloupe is a great source of potassium and it has 47% more potassium than papaya - cantaloupe has 267mg of potassium per 100 grams and papaya has 182mg 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, both cantaloupe and papaya contain small amounts of kaempferol.

Cantaloupe Papaya
luteolin 0.64 mg 0.02 mg
kaempferol 0.07 mg 0.01 mg
Quercetin 0.01 mg ~
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
myricetin ~ 0.02 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, cantaloupe has more beta-carotene than papaya per 100 grams, however, papaya contains more lutein + zeaxanthin and lycopene than cantaloupe per 100 grams. Both cantaloupe and papaya contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.

Cantaloupe Papaya
beta-carotene 2020 UG 274 UG
alpha-carotene 16 UG 2 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 26 UG 89 UG
lycopene ~ 1828 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both cantaloupe and papaya contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Cantaloupe Papaya
alpha linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.047 G
Total 0.046 G 0.047 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cantaloupe and papaya contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Cantaloupe Papaya
linoleic acid 0.035 G 0.011 G
Total 0.035 G 0.011 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: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Papaya (Papayas, raw) .

Cantaloupe g

()
Daily Values (%)

Papaya g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does cantaloupe or papaya contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - cantaloupe has 34 calories in 100g and papaya has 43 calories.

Does cantaloupe or papaya have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cantaloupe and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - cantaloupe has 8.2g of carbs for 100g and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.