Most people should get 1½ to 2 cups of fruit each day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The nutritional value of each type of fruit may vary considerably. While pineapples and oranges are quite similar in nutritional value, learning the differences can help you make an informed decision about which fruit best suits your nutritional needs.
Calories, Fat and Cholesterol
A 100-g serving of fresh pineapple contains 50 calories, slightly more than the 47 calories of the same sized serving of oranges. Both fruits provide only 0.12 g of total fat, which is less than 1 percent of the daily value, based on a diet of 2,000 calories. While this sized serving of pineapple contains 0.009 g of saturated fat while the same sized serving of oranges contains 0.015 g of saturated fat, both of these amounts are less than 1 percent of the daily value. Neither fruit contains any cholesterol.
Protein and Carbohydrates
Fresh pineapple provides about 0.5 g of protein in each 100-g serving, which is 1 percent of the daily value. A 100-g serving of oranges provide about 0.9 g of protein, which is almost 2 percent of the daily value. The amount of total carbohydrates in this serving of pineapple is about 13.1 g, while the oranges have 11.8g. Despite this small difference, the total amount of carbohydrates in both fruits is equivalent to about 4 percent of the daily value. However, the difference in the source of these carbohydrates is significant. About 1.4 g of the carbohydrates of the pineapple comes from dietary fiber, but the amount of dietary fiber in the orange is 2.4 g. Thus, the pineapple provides only 6 percent of the daily value of fiber, but the orange provides 10 percent the daily value. Both fruit contain similar amounts of sugar, with the pineapple having 9.9 g and the orange having 9.4 g.
Vitamins
Many vitamins are found in both pineapples and oranges, but the specific amounts vary slightly. A 100-g serving of pineapple provides 1 percent of the daily value of vitamin A and 80 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, but the same sized serving of oranges provide 5 percent of the daily value of vitamin A and 89 percent of the daily value of vitamin C. The pineapple only contains trace amounts of vitamin E, but the oranges provide 1 percent of the daily value of this vitamin. However, the pineapple provides 1 percent of the daily value of vitamin K, while the oranges do not contain this vitamin at all. Both fruits contain similar amounts of thiamine, with the pineapple providing 5 percent of the daily value and the oranges providing 6 percent. Both fruits contain 2 percent of riboflavin, but pineapples provide 3 percent of niacin while oranges only provide 1 percent. Approximately 6 percent of your daily value of vitamin B-6 is satisfied when you eat the pineapple, but you only get 3 percent of the daily value of vitamin B-6 by consuming the oranges.
Minerals
Pineapples and oranges also contain many minerals. Both fruits provide 1 percent of the daily value of phosphorus and 3 percent of the daily value of magnesium. A 100-g serving of pineapple provides 1 percent the daily value of calcium and 3 percent of potassium, but the same sized serving of the oranges provides 4 percent of the daily value of calcium and 5 percent of the daily value of potassium. Pineapple is a good source of manganese, with a 100-g serving providing 46 percent of the daily value. Oranges, however, only provide about 1 percent of manganese in each 100-g serving. Pineapple also provides 1 percent of the daily value of zinc and 2 percent of the daily value of iron, but oranges provide less than 1 percent of the daily value of zinc and only 1 percent of the daily value of iron.
References
- USDA MyPlate; Fruit; June 2011
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Pineapple, Raw, All Varieties
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Oranges, Raw, All Commerical Varieties
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Calculate the Percent Daily Value for the Appropriate Nutrients; May 2011
Member Comments