Napa Cabbage vs. Watercress

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Napa Cabbage and Watercress


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

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

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

  • Watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than napa cabbage, however, napa cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than watercress.
  • Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, napa cabbage contains more niacin and folate.
  • Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of napa cabbage 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: Napa Cabbage (Cabbage, napa, cooked) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Napa Cabbage src
Image of Watercress src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Napa cabbage and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - napa cabbage has 12 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, napa cabbage is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Napa cabbage has a macronutrient ratio of 29:59:12 and for watercress, 60:34:6 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Napa Cabbage Watercress
Protein 29% 60%
Carbohydrates 59% 34%
Fat 12% 6%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both napa cabbage and watercress are low in carbohydrates - napa cabbage has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Watercress has more dietary fiber than napa cabbage - watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Watercress and napa cabbage contain similar amounts of sugar - watercress has 0.2g of sugar per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Napa cabbage and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - napa cabbage has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both watercress and napa cabbage are low in saturated fat - watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 12 times more Vitamin C than napa cabbage - napa cabbage has 3.2mg 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 11 times more Vitamin A than napa cabbage - napa cabbage has 13ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Watercress has more Vitamin E than napa cabbage - watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Watercress is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than napa cabbage - watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Watercress has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, napa cabbage contains more niacin and folate.

Napa Cabbage Watercress
Thiamin 0.005 MG 0.09 MG
Riboflavin 0.025 MG 0.12 MG
Niacin 0.466 MG 0.2 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.035 MG 0.31 MG
Vitamin B6 0.037 MG 0.129 MG
Folate 43 UG 9 UG

Minerals

calcium

Watercress is an excellent source of calcium and it has 314% more calcium than napa cabbage - napa cabbage has 29mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.

iron

Napa cabbage has 270% more iron than watercress - napa cabbage has 0.74mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.

potassium

Watercress is an excellent source of potassium and it has 279% more potassium than napa cabbage - napa cabbage has 87mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg 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, watercress has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than napa cabbage per 100 grams, however, napa cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than watercress per 100 grams.

Napa Cabbage Watercress
beta-carotene 133 UG 1914 UG
alpha-carotene 49 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 5767 UG



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 Napa Cabbage or Watercress .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Napa Cabbage (Cabbage, napa, cooked) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .

Cooked Napa Cabbage g

()
Daily Values (%)

Watercress 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 napa cabbage or watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?
Napa cabbage and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - napa cabbage has 12 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.

Is napa cabbage or watercress better for protein?
Napa cabbage and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - napa cabbage has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.

Does napa cabbage or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both napa cabbage and watercress are low in carbohydrates - napa cabbage has 2.2g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.

Does napa cabbage or watercress contain more calcium?
Watercress is a rich source of calcium and it has 310% more calcium than napa cabbage - napa cabbage has 29mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.

Does napa cabbage or watercress contain more potassium?
Watercress is a rich source of potassium and it has 280% more potassium than napa cabbage - napa cabbage has 87mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.