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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of spirulina 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: Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Spirulina src
Image of Watercress src

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 carbs, heavier in fat and similar to watercress for protein. Spirulina has a macronutrient ratio of 58:24:18 and for watercress, 60:34:6 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Spirulina Watercress
Protein 58% 60%
Carbohydrates 24% 34%
Fat 18% 6%
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 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 Spirulina or Watercress .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .

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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.