Collard Greens vs. Leeks
Nutrition comparison of Collard Greens and Leeks
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
collard greens
versus
leeks
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in collard greens and leeks:
- Both leeks and collard greens are high in calcium.
- Collard green has 62% less carbohydrates than leek.
- Collard green has more riboflavin.
- Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and dietary fiber.
- Leek is a great source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Collard Greens (Collards, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Collard green has 48% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories per 100 grams and collard green has 32 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, collard greens is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to leeks per calorie. Collard greens has a macronutrient ratio of 31:56:13 and for leeks, 9:86:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Collard Greens | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 31% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 56% | 86% |
| Fat | 13% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Collard green has 62% less carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and collard green has 5.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Collard green is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 122% more dietary fiber than leek - leek has 1.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and collard green has 4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Leeks and collard greens contain similar amounts of sugar - leek has 3.9g of sugar per 100 grams and collard green has 0.46g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Leeks and collard greens contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and collard green has 3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both leeks and collard greens are low in saturated fat - leek has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and collard green has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 194% more Vitamin C than leek - leek has 12mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and collard green has 35.3mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 202% more Vitamin A than leek - leek has 83ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and collard green has 251ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Leeks and collard greens contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - leek has 0.92mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and collard green has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 830% more Vitamin K than leek - leek has 47ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and collard green has 437.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Collard green has more riboflavin. Both collard greens and leeks contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Collard Greens | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.054 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.13 MG | 0.03 MG |
| Niacin | 0.742 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.267 MG | 0.14 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.165 MG | 0.233 MG |
| Folate | 129 UG | 64 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both leeks and collard greens are high in calcium. Collard green has 293% more calcium than leek - leek has 59mg of calcium per 100 grams and collard green has 232mg of calcium.
iron
Leek is a great source of iron and it has 347% more iron than collard green - leek has 2.1mg of iron per 100 grams and collard green has 0.47mg of iron.
potassium
Leeks and collard greens contain similar amounts of potassium - leek has 180mg of potassium per 100 grams and collard green has 213mg 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, collard green has more kaempferol and quercetin than leek per 100 grams, however, leek contains more myricetin than collard green per 100 grams.
| Collard Greens | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.08 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 8.74 mg | 2.67 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.57 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,
| Collard Greens | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2991 UG | 1000 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 14 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4323 UG | 1900 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both collard greens and leeks contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Collard Greens | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.108 G | 0.099 G |
| Total | 0.108 G | 0.099 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both collard greens and leeks contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Collard Greens | Leeks | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.082 G | 0.067 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.084 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Collard Greens (Collards, raw) and Leeks (Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw) .
Collard Greens 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 leeks or collard greens contain more calories in 100 grams?Collard green has 50% less calories than leek - leek has 61 calories in 100g and collard green has 32 calories.
Is leeks or collard greens better for protein?
Leeks and collard greens contain similar amounts of protein - leek has 1.5g of protein per 100 grams and collard green has 3g of protein.
Does leeks or collard greens have more carbohydrates?
By weight, collard green has 60% fewer carbohydrates than leek - leek has 14.2g of carbs for 100g and collard green has 5.4g of carbohydrates.
Does leeks or collard greens contain more calcium?
Both leeks and collard greens are high in calcium. Collard green has 290% more calcium than leek - leek has 59mg of calcium in 100 grams and collard green has 232mg of calcium.