Carrots vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Carrots and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
carrots
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in carrots and kale:
- Both kale and carrots are high in Vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than kale, however, kale contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot.
- Kale has more riboflavin and folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Carrots (Carrots, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and carrots contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, carrots is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Carrots has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:5 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Carrots | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 41% |
| Fat | 5% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 53% sugar, 31% dietary fiber and 16% starch.
dietary fiber
Both kale and carrots are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 46% more dietary fiber than carrot - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and carrots contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 214% more protein than carrot - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and carrots are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 14 times more Vitamin C than carrot - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kale and carrots are high in Vitamin A. Carrot has 246% more Vitamin A than kale - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 28 times more Vitamin K than carrot - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin and folate. Both carrots and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Carrots | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.066 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.273 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.138 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than carrot - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 433% more iron than carrot - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and carrots are high in potassium. Kale has a little more potassium (9%) than carrot by weight - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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,
| Carrots | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.11 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.24 mg | 46.8 mg |
| myricetin | 0.04 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.21 mg | 22.58 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 23.6 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, carrot has more beta-carotene and alpha-carotene than kale per 100 grams, however, kale contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 8285 UG | 2873 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 3477 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 256 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.002 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.002 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.1 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.1 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.
Carrots g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does kale or carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and carrots contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Does kale or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in carrots comprise of 50% sugar, 30% dietary fiber and 20% starch.
Does kale or carrots contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than carrot - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
Does kale or carrots contain more potassium?
Both kale and carrots are high in potassium. Kale has a little more potassium ( 10%) than carrot by weight - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.