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  6. Watercress vs. Leek

Watercress vs. Leek — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the differences between Watercress and Leek?

  • Watercress is higher in Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A RAE, Vitamin B2, and Calcium, yet Leek is higher in Iron, Folate, Manganese, Vitamin B6, and Fiber.
  • Watercress's daily need coverage for Vitamin K is 169% more.
  • Watercress has 4 times more Vitamin B2 than Leek. While Watercress has 0.12mg of Vitamin B2, Leek has only 0.03mg.

We used Watercress, raw and Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw types in this article.

Infographic

Watercress vs Leek infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Watercress
Watercress
3
:
7
Leek
Leek
Contains more Calcium +103.4%
Contains more Phosphorus +71.4%
Contains more Potassium +83.3%
Contains more Iron +950%
Contains more Magnesium +33.3%
Contains less Sodium -51.2%
Contains more Copper +55.8%
Contains more Manganese +97.1%
Contains more Selenium +11.1%
Equal in Zinc - 0.12
Watercress
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 36% 8% 15% 26% 30% 6% 3% 26% 32% 5%
Leek
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 18% 79% 20% 15% 16% 3% 4% 40% 63% 6%
Contains more Calcium +103.4%
Contains more Phosphorus +71.4%
Contains more Potassium +83.3%
Contains more Iron +950%
Contains more Magnesium +33.3%
Contains less Sodium -51.2%
Contains more Copper +55.8%
Contains more Manganese +97.1%
Contains more Selenium +11.1%
Equal in Zinc - 0.12

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Watercress
Watercress
7
:
3
Leek
Leek
Contains more Vitamin A +91.4%
Contains more Vitamin C +258.3%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +50%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +300%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +121.4%
Contains more Vitamin K +431.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +100%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +80.6%
Contains more Folate +611.1%
Equal in Vitamin E - 0.92
Watercress
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 192% 20% 0% 144% 23% 28% 4% 19% 30% 7% 0% 625%
Leek
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 101% 19% 0% 40% 15% 7% 8% 9% 54% 48% 0% 118%
Contains more Vitamin A +91.4%
Contains more Vitamin C +258.3%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +50%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +300%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +121.4%
Contains more Vitamin K +431.9%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +100%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +80.6%
Contains more Folate +611.1%
Equal in Vitamin E - 0.92

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Watercress
Watercress
3
:
2
Leek
Leek
Contains more Protein +53.3%
Contains more Water +14.6%
Contains more Other +14.3%
Contains more Fats +200%
Contains more Carbs +996.9%
Watercress
2% 95%
Protein: 2.3 g
Fats: 0.1 g
Carbs: 1.29 g
Water: 95.11 g
Other: 1.2 g
Leek
14% 83%
Protein: 1.5 g
Fats: 0.3 g
Carbs: 14.15 g
Water: 83 g
Other: 1.05 g
Contains more Protein +53.3%
Contains more Water +14.6%
Contains more Other +14.3%
Contains more Fats +200%
Contains more Carbs +996.9%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Watercress
Watercress
2
:
1
Leek
Leek
Contains less Saturated Fat -32.5%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +100%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +374.3%
Watercress
39% 11% 50%
Saturated Fat: 0.027 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.008 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.035 g
Leek
19% 2% 79%
Saturated Fat: 0.04 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.166 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -32.5%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +100%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +374.3%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Watercress Leek
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in price ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Lower in Glycemic Index Equal
Rich in minerals Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Watercress Leek Opinion
Net carbs 0.79g 12.35g Leek
Protein 2.3g 1.5g Watercress
Fats 0.1g 0.3g Leek
Carbs 1.29g 14.15g Leek
Calories 11kcal 61kcal Leek
Sugar 0.2g 3.9g Watercress
Fiber 0.5g 1.8g Leek
Calcium 120mg 59mg Watercress
Iron 0.2mg 2.1mg Leek
Magnesium 21mg 28mg Leek
Phosphorus 60mg 35mg Watercress
Potassium 330mg 180mg Watercress
Sodium 41mg 20mg Leek
Zinc 0.11mg 0.12mg Leek
Copper 0.077mg 0.12mg Leek
Manganese 0.244mg 0.481mg Leek
Selenium 0.9µg 1µg Leek
Vitamin A 3191IU 1667IU Watercress
Vitamin A RAE 160µg 83µg Watercress
Vitamin E 1mg 0.92mg Watercress
Vitamin C 43mg 12mg Watercress
Vitamin B1 0.09mg 0.06mg Watercress
Vitamin B2 0.12mg 0.03mg Watercress
Vitamin B3 0.2mg 0.4mg Leek
Vitamin B5 0.31mg 0.14mg Watercress
Vitamin B6 0.129mg 0.233mg Leek
Folate 9µg 64µg Leek
Vitamin K 250µg 47µg Watercress
Tryptophan 0.03mg 0.012mg Watercress
Threonine 0.133mg 0.063mg Watercress
Isoleucine 0.093mg 0.052mg Watercress
Leucine 0.166mg 0.096mg Watercress
Lysine 0.134mg 0.078mg Watercress
Methionine 0.02mg 0.018mg Watercress
Phenylalanine 0.114mg 0.055mg Watercress
Valine 0.137mg 0.056mg Watercress
Histidine 0.04mg 0.025mg Watercress
Saturated Fat 0.027g 0.04g Watercress
Monounsaturated Fat 0.008g 0.004g Watercress
Polyunsaturated fat 0.035g 0.166g Leek

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Watercress Leek
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
91%
Watercress
35%
Leek
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
18%
Watercress
26%
Leek

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Watercress
Watercress is lower in Sugar (difference - 3.7g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Watercress
Watercress is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.013g)
Which food is cheaper?
Watercress
Watercress is cheaper (difference - $0.4)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Watercress
Watercress is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Sodium?
Leek
Leek contains less Sodium (difference - 21mg)
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes (32)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Watercress - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170068/nutrients
  2. Leek - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169246/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.