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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of watermelon and squash 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Watermelon src
Image of Squash src

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 7:88:5 and for squash, 8:90:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Watermelon Squash
Protein 7% 8%
Carbohydrates 88% 90%
Fat 5% 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 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 Watermelon or Squash .

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 %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol 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.