Beets vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and watercress:
- Both beets and watercress are high in potassium.
- Beet is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 32.8 times less sugar than beet.
- Watercress has 6.4 times less carbohydrates than beet.
- Watercress has 74% less calories than beet.
- Watercress has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, beet contains more folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 74% less calories than beet - beet has 43 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to watercress for fat. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:83:3 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 83% | 33% |
| Fat | 3% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 6.4 times less carbohydrates than beet - beet has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in beets are made of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Beet is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 460% more dietary fiber than watercress - beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress has 32.8 times less sugar than beet - beet has 6.8g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Beets and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both beets and watercress are low in saturated fat - beet has 0.03g 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 778% more Vitamin C than beet - beet has 4.9mg 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 79 times more Vitamin A than beet - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Beets and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beet has 0.04mg 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 1249 times more Vitamin K than beet - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more thiamin and riboflavin, however, beet contains more folate. Both beets and watercress contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Beets | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 650% more calcium than beet - beet has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Beet has 300% more iron than watercress - beet has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both beets and watercress are high in potassium. Beet is very similar to beet for potassium - beet has 325mg 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, beet has more luteolin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more quercetin and kaempferol than beet per 100 grams.
| Beets | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 23.03 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,
| Beets | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 20 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beet per 100 grams.
| Beets | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beet has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Beets | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.055 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 beets or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than beet - beet has 43 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is beets or watercress better for protein?
Beets and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does beets or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 6.4 times fewer carbohydrates than beet - beet has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in beets are made of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does beets or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 650% more calcium than beet - beet has 16mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does beets or watercress contain more potassium?
Both beets and watercress are high in potassium. Beet is very similar to beet for potassium - beet has 325mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.