Papaya vs. Watermelon
Nutrition comparison of Papaya and Watermelon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
papaya
versus
watermelon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in papaya and watermelon:
- Papaya has more niacin and folate.
- Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Watermelon has more lycopene than papaya, however, papaya contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and papaya has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, papaya is similar to watermelon for protein, carbs and fat. Papaya has a macronutrient ratio of 4:91:5 and for watermelon, 7:90:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Papaya | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 4% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 90% |
| Fat | 5% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Papaya has 325% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of sugar - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and papaya has 7.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and papaya has 0.47g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and papaya are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 652% more Vitamin C than watermelon - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Papaya has more niacin and folate. Both papaya and watermelon contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Papaya | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.021 MG |
| Niacin | 0.357 MG | 0.178 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.191 MG | 0.221 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Folate | 37 UG | 3 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Papaya has 186% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and papaya has 20mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and papaya has 0.25mg of iron.
potassium
Papaya has 63% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg 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,
| Papaya | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | 0.46 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.01 mg | 0.45 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, watermelon has more lycopene than papaya per 100 grams, however, papaya contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams. Both papaya and watermelon contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Papaya | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 274 UG | 303 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 2 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1828 UG | 4532 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 89 UG | 8 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both papaya and watermelon contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Papaya | Watermelon | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.05 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.05 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: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) .
Papaya g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watermelon g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does watermelon or papaya contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and papaya has 43 calories.
Does watermelon or papaya have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.