Cantaloupe vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Cantaloupe and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cantaloupe
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cantaloupe and watercress:
- Both cantaloupe and watercress are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium.
- Watercress has 38.3 times less sugar than cantaloupe.
- Watercress has 5.3 times less carbohydrates than cantaloupe.
- Watercress has 68% less calories than cantaloupe.
- Watercress has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, cantaloupe contains more niacin and folate.
- Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 68% less calories than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 34 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cantaloupe is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Cantaloupe has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:4 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cantaloupe | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 33% |
| Fat | 4% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watercress has 5.3 times less carbohydrates than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 8.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in cantaloupe are made of 89% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Cantaloupe has 80% more dietary fiber than watercress - cantaloupe has 0.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watercress has 38.3 times less sugar than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 7.9g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cantaloupe and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - cantaloupe has 0.84g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cantaloupe and watercress are low in saturated fat - cantaloupe has 0.05g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both cantaloupe and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 17% more Vitamin C than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 36.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both cantaloupe and watercress are high in Vitamin A. Cantaloupe has a little more Vitamin A (6%) than watercress by weight - cantaloupe has 169ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cantaloupe and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cantaloupe has 0.05mg 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 99 times more Vitamin K than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 2.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Watercress has more riboflavin and pantothenic acid, however, cantaloupe contains more niacin and folate. Both cantaloupe and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Cantaloupe | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.019 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.105 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.072 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 21 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 9mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Cantaloupe and watercress contain similar amounts of iron - cantaloupe has 0.21mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both cantaloupe and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 24% more potassium than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 267mg 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, cantaloupe has more luteolin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol and quercetin than cantaloupe per 100 grams.
| Cantaloupe | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.64 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.07 mg | 23.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.01 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 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, both cantaloupe and watercress contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Cantaloupe | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2020 UG | 1914 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 16 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 26 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both cantaloupe and watercress contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Cantaloupe | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.046 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cantaloupe and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cantaloupe | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.035 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.035 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: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Cantaloupe 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 % |
|
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 cantaloupe or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 34 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is cantaloupe or watercress better for protein?
Cantaloupe and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - cantaloupe has 0.84g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does cantaloupe or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watercress has 5.3 times fewer carbohydrates than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 8.2g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cantaloupe are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does cantaloupe or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 12 times more calcium than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 9mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does cantaloupe or watercress contain more potassium?
Both cantaloupe and watercress are high in potassium. Watercress has 20% more potassium than cantaloupe - cantaloupe has 267mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.