Cucumber vs. Watercress

Nutrition comparison of Cucumber and Watercress


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cucumber versus watercress (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cucumber and watercress:

  • Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
  • Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cucumber and watercress 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: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cucumber src
Image of Watercress src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cucumber is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Cucumber has a macronutrient ratio of 15:80:5 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cucumber Watercress
Protein 15% 67%
Carbohydrates 80% 33%
Fat 5% ~
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both cucumber and watercress are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in cucumber are made of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.

dietary fiber

Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Watercress has 254% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both cucumber and watercress are low in saturated fat - cucumber 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 14 times more Vitamin C than cucumber - cucumber has 2.8mg 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 31 times more Vitamin A than cucumber - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cucumber has 0.03mg 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 14 times more Vitamin K than cucumber - cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6. Both cucumber and watercress contain significant amounts of niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.

Cucumber Watercress
Thiamin 0.027 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.033 MG 0.12 MG
Niacin 0.098 MG 0.2 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.259 MG 0.31 MG
Vitamin B6 0.04 MG 0.129 MG
Folate 7 UG 9 UG

Minerals

calcium

Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 650% more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.

iron

Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of iron - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.

potassium

Watercress is an excellent source of potassium and it has 124% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg 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,

Cucumber Watercress
kaempferol 0.13 mg 23.03 mg
Quercetin 0.04 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,

Cucumber Watercress
beta-carotene 45 UG 1914 UG
alpha-carotene 11 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 23 UG 5767 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, watercress has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cucumber per 100 grams.

Cucumber Watercress
alpha linoleic acid 0.005 G 0.023 G
Total 0.005 G 0.023 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cucumber and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Cucumber Watercress
linoleic acid 0.028 G 0.012 G
Total 0.028 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: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .

Cucumber g

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FAQ

Does cucumber or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cucumber and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.

Is cucumber or watercress better for protein?
Watercress has 250% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.

Does cucumber or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cucumber and watercress are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cucumber are made of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.

Does cucumber or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 650% more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.

Does cucumber or watercress contain more potassium?
Watercress is a rich source of potassium and it has 120% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.