Red Bell Pepper vs. Watercress

Nutrition comparison of Red Bell Pepper and Watercress


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

We compared the nutritional contents of red bell pepper versus watercress (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in red bell pepper and watercress:

  • Both watercress and red bell pepper are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium.
  • Red bell pepper has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Red bell pepper is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Watercress has 20 times less sugar than red bell pepper.
  • Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of red bell pepper and watercress 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: Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Red Bell Pepper src
Image of Watercress src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calories - watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 26 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, red bell pepper is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Red bell pepper has a macronutrient ratio of 13:79:8 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Red Bell Pepper Watercress
Protein 13% 67%
Carbohydrates 79% 33%
Fat 8% ~
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in watercress are made of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar, whereas the carbs in red bell pepper comprise of 67% sugar and 33% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Red bell pepper is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 320% more dietary fiber than watercress - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 2.1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Watercress has 20 times less sugar than red bell pepper - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.99g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both watercress and red bell pepper are low in saturated fat - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.06g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both watercress and red bell pepper are high in Vitamin C. Red bell pepper has 197% more Vitamin C than watercress - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 127.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both watercress and red bell pepper are high in Vitamin A. Watercress is very similar to red bell pepper for Vitamin A - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 157ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 1.6mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 50 times more Vitamin K than red bell pepper - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.9ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Red bell pepper has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both red bell pepper and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Red Bell Pepper Watercress
Thiamin 0.054 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.085 MG 0.12 MG
Niacin 0.979 MG 0.2 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.317 MG 0.31 MG
Vitamin B6 0.291 MG 0.129 MG
Folate 46 UG 9 UG

Minerals

calcium

Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 16 times more calcium than red bell pepper - watercress has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium.

iron

Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of iron - watercress has 0.2mg of iron per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.43mg of iron.

potassium

Both watercress and red bell pepper are high in potassium. Watercress has 56% more potassium than red bell pepper - watercress has 330mg of potassium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 211mg 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, red bell pepper has more luteolin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol and quercetin than red bell pepper per 100 grams.

Red Bell Pepper Watercress
luteolin 0.61 mg 0.02 mg
kaempferol 0.02 mg 23.03 mg
Quercetin 0.23 mg 29.99 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
myricetin ~ 0.2 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, both red bell pepper and watercress contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.

Red Bell Pepper Watercress
beta-carotene 1624 UG 1914 UG
alpha-carotene 20 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 51 UG 5767 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, red bell pepper has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.

Red Bell Pepper Watercress
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.023 G
Total 0.056 G 0.023 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, red bell pepper has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.

Red Bell Pepper Watercress
linoleic acid 0.1 G 0.012 G
Total 0.1 G 0.012 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: Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .

Red Bell Pepper g

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FAQ

Does watercress or red bell pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?
Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of calories - watercress has 11 calories in 100g and red bell pepper has 26 calories.

Is watercress or red bell pepper better for protein?
Watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of protein - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.99g of protein.

Does watercress or red bell pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of carbs - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watercress are made of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar, whereas the carbs in red bell pepper comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

Does watercress or red bell pepper contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 16 times more calcium than red bell pepper - watercress has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium.

Does watercress or red bell pepper contain more potassium?
Both watercress and red bell pepper are high in potassium. Watercress has 60% more potassium than red bell pepper - watercress has 330mg of potassium in 100 grams and red bell pepper has 211mg of potassium.