Green Bean vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Green Bean and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
green bean
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in green bean and kale:
- Both kale and green bean are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than green bean, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene than kale.
- Kale has more riboflavin.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and green bean contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and green bean has 31 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, green bean is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Green bean has a macronutrient ratio of 20:76:5 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Green Bean | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 41% |
| Fat | 5% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale and green bean contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and green bean has 7g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in green bean comprise of 48% sugar, 39% dietary fiber and 13% starch.
dietary fiber
Both kale and green bean are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 52% more dietary fiber than green bean - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and green bean has 2.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and green bean contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and green bean has 3.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and green bean contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and green bean has 1.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and green bean are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and green bean has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both kale and green bean are high in Vitamin C. Kale has 666% more Vitamin C than green bean - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and green bean has 12.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 589% more Vitamin A than green bean - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and green bean has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and green bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and green bean has 0.41mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 806% more Vitamin K than green bean - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and green bean has 43ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin. Both green bean and kale contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Green Bean | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.082 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.104 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.225 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.141 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 33 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 586% more calcium than green bean - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and green bean has 37mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 55% more iron than green bean - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and green bean has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and green bean are high in potassium. Kale has 65% more potassium than green bean - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and green bean has 211mg 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,
| Green Bean | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.13 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 46.8 mg |
| myricetin | 0.13 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 2.73 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 green bean per 100 grams, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene than kale per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 379 UG | 2873 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 69 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 640 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than green bean per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.069 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.069 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than green bean per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.044 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.044 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) .
Green Bean g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
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% |
|
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 % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
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 % | |
| 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% |
|
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% |
|
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% |
|
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% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
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 % | |
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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 green bean contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and green bean contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and green bean has 31 calories.
Does kale or green bean have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale and green bean contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and green bean has 7g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in green bean comprise of 50% sugar, 40% dietary fiber and 10% starch.
Does kale or green bean contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 590% more calcium than green bean - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and green bean has 37mg of calcium.
Does kale or green bean contain more potassium?
Both kale and green bean are high in potassium. Kale has 70% more potassium than green bean - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and green bean has 211mg of potassium.