Cabbage vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Cabbage and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cabbage
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cabbage and kale:
- Both kale and cabbage are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Kale has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than cabbage, however, cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than kale.
- Kale has more riboflavin and niacin.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cabbage (Cabbage, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and cabbage contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and cabbage has 25 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cabbage is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Cabbage has a macronutrient ratio of 17:80:3 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cabbage | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 17% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 80% | 41% |
| Fat | 3% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale and cabbage contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in cabbage comprise of 56% sugar and 44% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both kale and cabbage are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 64% more dietary fiber than cabbage - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cabbage has 2.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and cabbage contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and cabbage has 3.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 128% more protein than cabbage - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cabbage has 1.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and cabbage are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both kale and cabbage are high in Vitamin C. Kale has 155% more Vitamin C than cabbage - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cabbage has 36.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 47 times more Vitamin A than cabbage - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cabbage has 5ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and cabbage contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.15mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 413% more Vitamin K than cabbage - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cabbage has 76ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin and niacin. Both cabbage and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cabbage | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.061 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.234 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.212 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.124 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 43 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 535% more calcium than cabbage - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and cabbage has 40mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 240% more iron than cabbage - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and cabbage has 0.47mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 105% more potassium than cabbage - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and cabbage has 170mg 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,
| Cabbage | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.08 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.1 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.18 mg | 46.8 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.28 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, kale has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than cabbage per 100 grams, however, cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than kale per 100 grams.
| Cabbage | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 42 UG | 2873 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 33 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 30 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than cabbage per 100 grams.
| Cabbage | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.017 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.017 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.
Cabbage 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 cabbage contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and cabbage contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and cabbage has 25 calories.
Does kale or cabbage have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale and cabbage contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in cabbage comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.
Does kale or cabbage contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 540% more calcium than cabbage - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and cabbage has 40mg of calcium.
Does kale or cabbage contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 110% more potassium than cabbage - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and cabbage has 170mg of potassium.