Papaya vs. Squash

Nutrition comparison of Papaya and Cooked Squash


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

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

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

  • Both squash and papaya are high in Vitamin C.
  • Squash has 75% less sugar than papaya.
  • Squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than papaya, however, papaya contains more lycopene and lutein + zeaxanthin than squash.
  • Squash has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
  • Squash is a great source of calcium and potassium.
  • Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of papaya and squash 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: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Papaya src
Image of Squash src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - squash has 40 calories per 100 grams and papaya has 43 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, papaya is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to squash for carbs. Papaya has a macronutrient ratio of 4:90:6 and for squash, 8:90:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Papaya Squash
Protein 4% 8%
Carbohydrates 90% 90%
Fat 6% 2%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - squash has 10.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 88% more dietary fiber than papaya - squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Squash has 75% less sugar than papaya - squash has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and papaya has 7.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of protein - squash has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and papaya has 0.47g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both squash and papaya are low in saturated fat - squash has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both squash and papaya are high in Vitamin C. Papaya has 303% more Vitamin C than squash - squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 10 times more Vitamin A than papaya - squash has 558ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - squash has 1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Squash has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6. Both papaya and squash contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate.

Papaya Squash
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.072 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.017 MG
Niacin 0.357 MG 0.969 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.191 MG 0.359 MG
Vitamin B6 0.038 MG 0.124 MG
Folate 37 UG 19 UG

Minerals

calcium

Squash is a great source of calcium and it has 105% more calcium than papaya - squash has 41mg of calcium per 100 grams and papaya has 20mg of calcium.

iron

Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of iron - squash has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and papaya has 0.25mg of iron.

potassium

Squash is a great source of potassium and it has 56% more potassium than papaya - squash has 284mg of potassium per 100 grams and papaya has 182mg 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, squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than papaya per 100 grams, however, papaya contains more lycopene and lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams.

Papaya Squash
beta-carotene 274 UG 4570 UG
alpha-carotene 2 UG 1130 UG
lycopene 1828 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 89 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Papaya Squash
alpha linoleic acid 0.047 G 0.024 G
Total 0.047 G 0.024 G

omega 6s

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

Papaya Squash
linoleic acid 0.011 G 0.014 G
Total 0.011 G 0.014 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Papaya or Squash .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) .

Papaya g

()
Daily Values (%)

Cooked Squash 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 squash or papaya contain more calories in 100 grams?
Squash and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - squash has 40 calories in 100g and papaya has 43 calories.

Does squash or papaya have more carbohydrates?
By weight, squash and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - squash has 10.5g of carbs for 100g and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.