Cucumber vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Cucumber and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cucumber
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cucumber and kale:
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cucumber and kale contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and kale has 35 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cucumber is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Cucumber has a macronutrient ratio of 15:80:5 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cucumber | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 15% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 80% | 41% |
| Fat | 5% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cucumber and kale are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and kale has 4.4g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in cucumber are made of 56% sugar, 28% starch and 17% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in kale comprise of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 720% more dietary fiber than cucumber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber and kale contain similar amounts of sugar - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and kale has 0.99g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 349% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and kale has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cucumber and kale are low in saturated fat - cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kale has 0.18g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 32 times more Vitamin C than cucumber - cucumber has 2.8mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 47 times more Vitamin A than cucumber - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and kale has 241ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Cucumber and kale contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cucumber has 0.03mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 22 times more Vitamin K than cucumber - cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both cucumber and kale contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Cucumber | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.098 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 7 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 14 times more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and kale has 254mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 471% more iron than cucumber - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and kale has 1.6mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 137% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium per 100 grams and kale has 348mg 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,
| Cucumber | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.13 mg | 46.8 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.04 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,
| Cucumber | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 45 UG | 2873 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 11 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cucumber per 100 grams.
| Cucumber | 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 cucumber per 100 grams.
| Cucumber | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.028 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.028 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.
Cucumber 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 cucumber or kale contain more calories in 100 grams?Cucumber and kale contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and kale has 35 calories.
Does cucumber or kale have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cucumber and kale are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and kale has 4.4g of carbohydrates. the carbs in cucumber are made of 60% sugar, 30% starch and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in kale comprise of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar.
Does cucumber or kale contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 14 times more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium in 100 grams and kale has 254mg of calcium.
Does cucumber or kale contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 140% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium in 100 grams and kale has 348mg of potassium.