Asparagus vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Asparagus and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
asparagus
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in asparagus and watercress:
- Both asparagus and watercress are high in potassium.
- Asparagus has more niacin and folate.
- Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Asparagus and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, asparagus is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Asparagus has a macronutrient ratio of 34:61:5 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Asparagus | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 34% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 61% | 33% |
| Fat | 5% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both asparagus and watercress are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in asparagus are made of 53% dietary fiber and 47% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Asparagus is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 320% more dietary fiber than watercress - asparagus has 2.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Asparagus and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - asparagus has 1.9g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Asparagus and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both asparagus and watercress are low in saturated fat - asparagus has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 668% more Vitamin C than asparagus - asparagus has 5.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 321% more Vitamin A than asparagus - asparagus has 38ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Asparagus and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - asparagus has 1.1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 501% more Vitamin K than asparagus - asparagus has 41.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Asparagus has more niacin and folate. Both asparagus and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Asparagus | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.143 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.141 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.978 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.274 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.091 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 52 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 400% more calcium than asparagus - asparagus has 24mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Asparagus is a great source of iron and it has 970% more iron than watercress - asparagus has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both asparagus and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 63% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg 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, asparagus has more isorhamnetin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol and quercetin than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 5.7 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 1.39 mg | 23.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 13.98 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 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,
| Asparagus | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 9 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 710 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than asparagus per 100 grams.
| Asparagus | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both asparagus and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Asparagus | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.04 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.04 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: Asparagus (Asparagus, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Asparagus g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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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 asparagus or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Asparagus and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - asparagus has 20 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is asparagus or watercress better for protein?
Asparagus and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - asparagus has 2.2g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does asparagus or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both asparagus and watercress are low in carbohydrates - asparagus has 3.9g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in asparagus are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does asparagus or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 400% more calcium than asparagus - asparagus has 24mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does asparagus or watercress contain more potassium?
Both asparagus and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 60% more potassium than asparagus - asparagus has 202mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.