Lemon vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and kale:
- Both lemon and kale are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and kale contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and kale has 35 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 41% |
| Fat | 6% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and kale contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and kale has 4.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lemon and kale are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 46% more dietary fiber than lemon - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon and kale contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and kale has 0.99g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 165% more protein than lemon - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and kale has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and kale are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and kale has 0.18g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and kale are high in Vitamin C. Kale has 76% more Vitamin C than lemon - lemon has 53mg 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 240 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and kale has 241ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and kale contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg 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 more Vitamin K than lemon - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both lemon and kale contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Lemon | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 877% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and kale has 254mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 167% more iron than lemon - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and kale has 1.6mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 152% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg 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, lemon has more luteolin and myricetin than kale per 100 grams, however, kale contains more kaempferol, quercetin and isorhamnetin than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 1.9 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.03 mg | 46.8 mg |
| myricetin | 0.5 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 1.14 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,
| Lemon | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 2873 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.063 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.
Lemon 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 lemon or kale contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and kale contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and kale has 35 calories.
Does lemon or kale have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and kale contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and kale has 4.4g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon or kale contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 880% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium in 100 grams and kale has 254mg of calcium.
Does lemon or kale contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 150% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium in 100 grams and kale has 348mg of potassium.