Kale vs. Napa Cabbage
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Cooked Napa Cabbage
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
cooked
napa cabbage
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and napa cabbage:
- Kale has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than napa cabbage, however, napa cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than kale.
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Napa cabbage has 66% less calories than kale.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Napa Cabbage (Cabbage, napa, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Napa cabbage has 66% less calories than kale - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 12 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to napa cabbage for protein. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for napa cabbage, 30:59:11 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Napa Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 59% |
| Fat | 31% | 11% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kale and napa cabbage are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 2.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than napa cabbage - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Kale and napa cabbage contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Kale has 165% more protein than napa cabbage - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and napa cabbage are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 28 times more Vitamin C than napa cabbage - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 3.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 17 times more Vitamin A than napa cabbage - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 13ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale has more Vitamin E than napa cabbage - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than napa cabbage - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and napa cabbage does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both kale and napa cabbage contain significant amounts of folate.
| Kale | Napa Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.005 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.025 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.466 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.035 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.037 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 43 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 776% more calcium than napa cabbage - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 116% more iron than napa cabbage - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 0.74mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 300% more potassium than napa cabbage - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and napa cabbage has 87mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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 napa cabbage per 100 grams, however, napa cabbage contains more alpha-carotene than kale per 100 grams.
| Kale | Napa Cabbage | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2873 UG | 133 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 6261 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 49 UG |
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: Kale (Kale, raw) and Napa Cabbage (Cabbage, napa, cooked) .
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Napa Cabbage 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 napa cabbage contain more calories in 100 grams?Napa cabbage has 70% less calories than kale - kale has 35 calories in 100g and napa cabbage has 12 calories.
Does kale or napa cabbage have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kale and napa cabbage are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and napa cabbage has 2.2g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or napa cabbage contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 780% more calcium than napa cabbage - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and napa cabbage has 29mg of calcium.
Does kale or napa cabbage contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 300% more potassium than napa cabbage - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and napa cabbage has 87mg of potassium.