Watermelon vs. Cucumber

Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Cucumber


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

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

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

  • Cucumber has 73% less sugar than watermelon.
  • Watermelon has more beta-carotene and lycopene than cucumber, however, cucumber contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon.
Detailed nutritional comparison of watermelon and cucumber 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Watermelon src
Image of Cucumber src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between watermelon and cucumber. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and cucumber has 15 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to cucumber for fat. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for cucumber, 15:80:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Watermelon Cucumber
Protein 7% 15%
Carbohydrates 90% 80%
Fat 4% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of dietary fiber - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Cucumber has 73% less sugar than watermelon - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cucumber has 1.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.65g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both watermelon and cucumber are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Watermelon has 189% more Vitamin C than cucumber - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Watermelon has 460% more Vitamin A than cucumber - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Both watermelon and cucumber contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Watermelon Cucumber
Thiamin 0.033 MG 0.027 MG
Riboflavin 0.021 MG 0.033 MG
Niacin 0.178 MG 0.098 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.221 MG 0.259 MG
Vitamin B6 0.045 MG 0.04 MG
Folate 3 UG 7 UG

Minerals

calcium

Cucumber has 129% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and cucumber has 16mg of calcium.

iron

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and cucumber has 0.28mg of iron.

potassium

Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of potassium - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and cucumber has 147mg 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,

Watermelon Cucumber
luteolin 0.46 mg ~
kaempferol 0.45 mg 0.13 mg
Quercetin ~ 0.04 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, watermelon has more beta-carotene and lycopene than cucumber per 100 grams, however, cucumber contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon per 100 grams.

Watermelon Cucumber
beta-carotene 303 UG 45 UG
lycopene 4532 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 8 UG 23 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 11 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 6s

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

Watermelon Cucumber
linoleic acid 0.05 G 0.028 G
Total 0.05 G 0.028 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) .

Watermelon g

()
Daily Values (%)

Cucumber 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 watermelon or cucumber contain more calories in 100 grams?
Watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and cucumber has 15 calories.

Does watermelon or cucumber have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and cucumber contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and cucumber has 3.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cucumber comprise of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber.