Watermelon vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and squash:
- Squash has 68% less sugar than watermelon.
- Squash has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than watermelon, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than squash.
- Squash has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Squash is a great source of Vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
- Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is similar to squash for protein, carbs and fat. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 91% |
| Fat | 4% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 700% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Squash has 68% less sugar than watermelon - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and squash are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 86% more Vitamin C than watermelon - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 18 times more Vitamin A than watermelon - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and squash has 558ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and squash has 1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Squash has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both watermelon and squash contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Watermelon | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Squash is a great source of calcium and it has 486% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Squash is a great source of potassium and it has 154% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg 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 watermelon per 100 grams, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than squash per 100 grams.
| Watermelon | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 4570 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and squash contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.014 G |
| Total | 0.05 G | 0.014 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) .
Watermelon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 squash contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.
Does watermelon or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and squash contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.