Nutrition

What’s the Difference Between Honeydew

Melon and Cantaloupe?
 What they are
 Similarities & differences
 Recommendation
 Bottom line

Honeydew melon and cantaloupe are two popular varieties of melon.

They’re similar in many ways but also have some unique differences.

This article reviews the health benefits of honeydew melon and cantaloupe, their similarities and
differences, and which type may be a better choice for you.

What are honeydew melon and cantaloupe?

Honeydew melon and cantaloupe are two members of the same species, Cucumis melo (1).

Yet, though they’re closely related, they’re two distinctive fruits.

They’re similarly sweet, but honeydew melon has a smooth, light-colored rind and green flesh,
while cantaloupe has a darker, netted rind and orange flesh (1, 2Trusted Source).

Health benefits

Melons are highly nutritious and associated with many health benefits. Both honeydew and
cantaloupe are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and plant polyphenols (3Trusted Source,
4Trusted Source).

Plant polyphenols are unique compounds in fruits and vegetables that possess antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory qualities (5Trusted Source).

Oxidation and inflammation have been linked to obesity and certain chronic conditions, such as
heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Eating a diet rich in plant polyphenols may decrease both
oxidative damage and inflammation in your body (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted
Source, 8Trusted Source).
Additionally, members of the C. melo species, such as honeydew melon and cantaloupe, may
benefit your skin, as they’re rich in the powerful antioxidant superoxide dismutase, which may
help alleviate the harmful effects of excessive sun exposure (9Trusted Source).

What’s more, your body may absorb certain antioxidants, including beta-carotene and lycopene
in melons, better when they come from fruits as opposed to vegetables (10).

Summary Honeydew and cantaloupe are members of the C. melo species. They contain many
vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and may benefit your health by reducing inflammation and
oxidative damage and by alleviating damage from sun exposure.

Similarities and differences

Because they’re the same species, cantaloupe and honeydew melon are noticeably similar.
Nevertheless, they have distinct differences, too.

Here are the similarities and differences between cantaloupe and honeydew melon.

Nutrition

Honeydew melon and cantaloupe have comparable nutrient profiles, with 3.5 ounces (100 grams)
providing (11, 12):

Honeydew melon Cantaloupe

Water content 90% 90%
Calories 36 34
Fat 0 grams 0 grams
Carbs 9 grams 8 grams
Protein 1 gram 1 gram
Fiber 1 gram 1 gram
Vitamin A 1% of the DV 68% of the DV
Vitamin C 30% of the DV 61% of the DV

They’re almost identical in their calorie, macronutrient, and water contents, but cantaloupe has
more than twice the vitamin C of honeydew and over 60% more vitamin A in the form of
provitamin A carotenoids, which are precursors for vitamin A found in plant foods (11, 12).

Vitamin A is essential to prevent vision problems, and vitamin C has a number of immune-
boosting functions. Both have antioxidant properties as well (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted
Source, 15Trusted Source).

Culinary differences
Honeydew melons and cantaloupes are loved for their sweetness and juiciness (16).

Their color and firm texture make them a good addition to fruit platter and salads.

Due to their similar taste and texture, they can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

However, honeydew is slightly sweeter with a firm, green flesh, while cantaloupe has softer,
orange flesh.

Cantaloupe is more prone to being contaminated with disease-causing bacteria due to its netted
rind, which provides more recesses in which bacteria can grow. It’s also harder to clean
(17Trusted Source).

That said, this problem has been solved by crossbreeding cantaloupe and honeydew melon,
resulting in a type of melon with the smooth rind of honeydew but the orange flesh of cantaloupe
(18Trusted Source).

Summary Honeydew melon and cantaloupe have similar nutrition profiles, but cantaloupe
contains more vitamin C and vitamin A. Additionally, cantaloupe is more likely to be
contaminated with harmful bacteria due to its netted rind.

Which should you choose?

Cantaloupe and honeydew melon are similar, so which one you choose primarily depends on
your personal preference.

Cantaloupe contains more provitamin A and vitamin C, making it slightly more nutritious —
though both make healthy choices.

Because cantaloupe carries a higher risk of being contaminated with harmful bacteria, you may
want to avoid this type if your immune system is compromised or you are pregnant.

Still, a type of melon with the taste and color of cantaloupe and the smooth rind of honeydew
melon is now available. This crossbred version is less likely to cause illness.

Either melon is a great choice, as both are low in calories and full of vitamins, minerals, and
antioxidants.