Kale vs. Onion
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Onion
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
onion
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and onion:
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Onion (Onions, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and onion contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to onion per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for onion, 11:87:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 87% |
| Fat | 31% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 141% more dietary fiber than onion - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 165% more protein than onion - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and onion are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 11 times more Vitamin C than onion - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than onion - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 973 times more Vitamin K than onion - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both kale and onion contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Kale | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.046 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.116 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.123 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 10 times more calcium than onion - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 662% more iron than onion - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 138% more potassium than onion - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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 onion contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Kale | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 23.6 mg | 5.01 mg |
| kaempferol | 46.8 mg | 0.65 mg |
| Quercetin | 22.58 mg | 20.3 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 mg |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Kale | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.004 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than onion per 100 grams.
| Kale | Onion | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 G | 0.013 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.
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Onion 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 onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and onion contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does kale or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or onion contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 10 times more calcium than onion - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
Does kale or onion contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 140% more potassium than onion - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and onion has 146mg of potassium.