Zucchini vs Cucumber: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Zucchini contains 1.2 g of protein, while cucumber has 0.7 g. Zucchini has 17 calories, and cucumber has 15 calories.

Zucchini and cucumber are popular vegetables often used in various dishes. This comparison highlights their nutritional differences per 100 g.

What Is the Difference Between Zucchini and Cucumber?

Zucchini is a summer squash that is typically green and can be eaten raw or cooked. It is low in calories and high in water content. Cucumber is a long, green-skinned fruit commonly consumed raw in salads or as a snack. It is also low in calories and refreshing.

Zucchini vs Cucumber: Nutrition Side by Side

Below is a side-by-side comparison of zucchini and cucumber's nutritional values.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Zucchini (raw)	Cucumber (raw, with peel)
Calories	17 kcal	15 kcal
Protein	1.2 g	0.7 g
Carbs	3.1 g	3.6 g
Sugar	2.5 g	1.7 g
Fat	0.3 g	0.1 g
Fiber	1 g	0.5 g
Sodium	8 mg	2 mg

Which Is Better, Zucchini or Cucumber?

For weight loss: Cucumber has fewer calories at 15 compared to zucchini's 17, making it slightly better for weight loss.

For muscle and protein: Zucchini has more protein at 1.2 g compared to cucumber's 0.7 g, making it a better choice for muscle support.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Zucchini has 3.1 g of carbs and 2.5 g of sugar, while cucumber has 3.6 g of carbs and 1.7 g of sugar, making zucchini lower in both categories.

How to Track Zucchini and Cucumber Accurately

Portion sizes and macronutrient content can be easily misjudged, affecting dietary choices. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies foods from a photo and returns calories and macros from a database of more than 1.8 million foods. It also supports barcode scanning and voice logging. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

How We Compiled These Numbers

The numbers provided are rounded reference values for educational use, not medical advice. This comparison is based on per-100 g servings. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which has more protein?

Zucchini has 1.2 g of protein, while cucumber has 0.7 g.

Which has fewer calories?

Cucumber has 15 calories, while zucchini has 17 calories.

What are the carbohydrate contents?

Zucchini has 3.1 g of carbs, while cucumber has 3.6 g.

What is the sugar content in zucchini?

Zucchini contains 2.5 g of sugar per 100 g.

What is the fiber content in cucumber?

Cucumber has 0.5 g of fiber per 100 g.

How much sodium is in zucchini?

Zucchini contains 8 mg of sodium per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Zucchini has 17 calories per 100 g.
• Cucumber has 15 calories per 100 g.
• Zucchini provides 1.2 g of protein.
• Cucumber provides 0.7 g of protein.
• Zucchini has 3.1 g of carbs.
• Cucumber has 3.6 g of carbs.