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.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
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 |
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 .
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
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| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
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.