Pasta vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and kale:
- Both kale and pasta are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and kale has 91% less calories than pasta - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 41% |
| Fat | 4% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and kale has 94% less carbohydrates than pasta - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 28% more dietary fiber than pasta - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 347% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and pasta are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than pasta - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 3895 times more Vitamin K than pasta - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and kale contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than pasta - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 106% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and pasta are high in potassium. Kale has 56% more potassium than pasta - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pasta and kale contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Pasta | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.54 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.
Pasta 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 pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and kale has 90% less calories than pasta - kale has 35 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does kale or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and kale has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or pasta contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than pasta - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
Does kale or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 110% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does kale or pasta contain more potassium?
Both kale and pasta are high in potassium. Kale has 60% more potassium than pasta - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.