Kale vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and watercress:
- Both kale and watercress are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
- Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Kale has signficantly more iron than watercress.
- Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
- Watercress has 69% less calories than kale.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watercress has 69% less calories than kale - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to watercress per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for watercress, 67:33:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 33% |
| Fat | 31% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kale and watercress are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 71% dietary fiber and 29% sugar.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 720% more dietary fiber than watercress - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and watercress are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both kale and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Kale has 117% more Vitamin C than watercress - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kale and watercress are high in Vitamin A. Kale has 51% more Vitamin A than watercress - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both kale and watercress are high in Vitamin K. Kale has 56% more Vitamin K than watercress - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both kale and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Kale | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and watercress are high in calcium. Kale has 112% more calcium than watercress - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has signficantly more iron than watercress - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and watercress are high in potassium. Kale has a little more potassium (5%) than watercress by weight - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg 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, both kale and watercress contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Kale | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 23.6 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 46.8 mg | 23.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 22.58 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.2 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, both kale and watercress contain significant amounts of beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Kale | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2873 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 6261 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Kale | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than watercress per 100 grams.
| Kale | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 0.012 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 G | 0.012 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: Kale (Kale, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress 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 % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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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 watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Watercress has 70% less calories than kale - kale has 35 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is kale or watercress better for protein?
Kale and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does kale or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kale and watercress are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in watercress comprise of 70% dietary fiber and 30% sugar.
Does kale or watercress contain more calcium?
Both kale and watercress are high in calcium. Kale has 110% more calcium than watercress - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does kale or watercress contain more potassium?
Both kale and watercress are high in potassium. Kale has a little more potassium ( 10%) than watercress by weight - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.