Beets vs. Kale

Nutrition comparison of Beets and Kale


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of beets versus kale (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and kale:

  • Both kale and beets are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Kale has 5.8 times less sugar than beet.
  • Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beets and kale is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beets src
Image of Kale src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Kale and beets contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beets is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for kale, 27:41:32 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beets Kale
Protein 14% 27%
Carbohydrates 82% 41%
Fat 4% 32%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Kale and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Both kale and beets are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 46% more dietary fiber than beet - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Kale has 5.8 times less sugar than beet - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Kale and beets contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both kale and beets are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 18 times more Vitamin C than beet - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 119 times more Vitamin A than beet - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beet has 2ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Kale and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1947 times more Vitamin K than beet - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both beets and kale contain significant amounts of folate.

Beets Kale
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.113 MG
Riboflavin 0.04 MG 0.347 MG
Niacin 0.334 MG 1.18 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.155 MG 0.37 MG
Vitamin B6 0.067 MG 0.147 MG
Folate 109 UG 62 UG

Minerals

calcium

Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 14 times more calcium than beet - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.

iron

Kale has 100% more iron than beet - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.

potassium

Both kale and beets are high in potassium. Kale has a little more potassium (7%) than beet by weight - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

flavonoids

Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]

For specific flavonoid compounds, beet has more luteolin than kale per 100 grams, however, kale contains more quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol than beet per 100 grams.

Beets Kale
luteolin 0.37 mg ~
Quercetin 0.13 mg 22.58 mg
isorhamnetin ~ 23.6 mg
kaempferol ~ 46.8 mg

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids,

Beets Kale
beta-carotene 20 UG 2873 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 6261 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beet per 100 grams.

Beets Kale
alpha linoleic acid 0.005 G 0.378 G
Total 0.005 G 0.378 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than beet per 100 grams.

Beets Kale
linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.291 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.003 G
Total 0.055 G 0.294 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Beets or Kale .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beets (Beets, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) .

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FAQ

Does kale or beets contain more calories in 100 grams?
Kale and beets contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.

Does kale or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

Does kale or beets contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 14 times more calcium than beet - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.

Does kale or beets contain more potassium?
Both kale and beets are high in potassium. Kale has a little more potassium ( 10%) than beet by weight - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.

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