Spirulina vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Spirulina and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
spirulina
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in spirulina and watercress:
- Both watercress and spirulina are high in calcium and potassium.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
- Watercress has 97.1 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Watercress has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and watercress has 96% less calories than spirulina - watercress has 11 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, spirulina is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Spirulina has a macronutrient ratio of 59:25:17 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Spirulina | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 59% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 25% | 33% |
| Fat | 17% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina - watercress has 1.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 620% more dietary fiber than watercress - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 23 times more protein than watercress - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Watercress has 97.1 times less saturated fat than spirulina - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 326% more Vitamin C than spirulina - watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 452% more Vitamin A than spirulina - watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 400% more Vitamin E than watercress - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 880% more Vitamin K than spirulina - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Spirulina | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 2.38 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 3.67 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 12.82 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 3.48 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.364 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 94 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both watercress and spirulina are high in calcium. is very similar to watercress for calcium - watercress has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 141 times more iron than watercress - watercress has 0.2mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both watercress and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 313% more potassium than watercress - watercress has 330mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg 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,
| Spirulina | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 342 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Spirulina | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.823 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.823 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Spirulina | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.254 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 1.254 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: Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Spirulina g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress 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 watercress or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and watercress has 100% less calories than spirulina - watercress has 11 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is watercress or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 23 times more protein than watercress - watercress has 2.3g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does watercress or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - watercress has 1.3g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does watercress or spirulina contain more calcium?
Both watercress and spirulina are high in calcium. is very similar to watercress for calcium - watercress has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does watercress or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 141 times more iron than watercress - watercress has 0.2mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does watercress or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both watercress and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 310% more potassium than watercress - watercress has 330mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.