Kale vs. Leeks
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Leeks
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
leeks
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and leeks:
- Both kale and leeks are high in calcium.
- Kale has 69% less carbohydrates than leek.
- Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Leek is a great source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale has 43% less calories than leek - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and leek has 61 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to leeks per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 86% |
| Fat | 31% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 69% less carbohydrates than leek - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and leek has 14.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 128% more dietary fiber than leek - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and leeks contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and leek has 3.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and leeks contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and leek has 1.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and leeks are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and leek has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 678% more Vitamin C than leek - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and leek has 12mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 190% more Vitamin A than leek - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and leek has 83ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and leeks contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 729% more Vitamin K than leek - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and leek has 47ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Both kale and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Kale | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.233 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 64 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and leeks are high in calcium. Kale has 331% more calcium than leek - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and leek has 59mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 31% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and leek has 2.1mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 93% more potassium than leek - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and leek has 180mg 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, kale has more isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more myricetin than kale per 100 grams.
| Kale | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 23.6 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 46.8 mg | 2.67 mg |
| Quercetin | 22.58 mg | 0.09 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.22 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 | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2873 UG | 1000 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 6261 UG | 1900 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than leek per 100 grams.
| Kale | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.099 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.099 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than leek per 100 grams.
| Kale | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 0.067 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 G | 0.067 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.
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Leeks 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 leeks contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale has 40% less calories than leek - kale has 35 calories in 100g and leek has 61 calories.
Does kale or leeks have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 70% fewer carbohydrates than leek - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and leek has 14.2g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or leeks contain more calcium?
Both kale and leeks are high in calcium. Kale has 330% more calcium than leek - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and leek has 59mg of calcium.
Does kale or leeks contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 90% more potassium than leek - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and leek has 180mg of potassium.