Beef vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and kale:
- Both kale and beef are high in potassium.
- Beef has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, kale contains more folate.
- Beef is a great source of iron.
- Beef is an excellent source of protein.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beef is high in calories and kale has 87% less calories than beef - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and beef has 277 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to kale per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 41% |
| Fat | 62% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kale and beef are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Kale and beef contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Beef is an excellent source of protein and it has 769% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and kale has 98% less saturated fat than beef - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beef has 7.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Kale has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Kale has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than beef - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 79 times more Vitamin A than beef - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beef has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and kale contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and beef contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 128 times more Vitamin K than beef - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beef has 3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beef has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, kale contains more folate. Both beef and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Beef | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 62 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 626% more calcium than beef - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and beef has 35mg of calcium.
iron
Beef is a great source of iron and it has 41% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and beef has 2.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and beef are high in potassium. Kale has 27% more potassium than beef - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beef and kale contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Beef | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.047 G | 0.003 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.291 G |
| Total | 0.437 G | 0.294 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.
Cooked Beef g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does kale or beef contain more calories in 100 grams?Beef is high in calories and kale has 90% less calories than beef - kale has 35 calories in 100g and beef has 277 calories.
Is kale or beef better for protein?
Beef is a fantastic source of protein and it has 770% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.
Does kale or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kale and beef are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..
Does kale or beef contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 630% more calcium than beef - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and beef has 35mg of calcium.
Does kale or beef contain more potassium?
Both kale and beef are high in potassium. Kale has 30% more potassium than beef - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.