Ricotta Cheese vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Ricotta Cheese and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
ricotta cheese
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in ricotta cheese and kale:
- Both kale and ricotta cheese are high in Vitamin A, calcium and potassium.
- Kale has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B12.
- Kale has signficantly more iron than ricotta cheese.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Ricotta cheese is high in calories and kale has 77% less calories than ricotta cheese - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 150 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, ricotta cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to kale per calorie. Ricotta cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 20:19:61 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Ricotta Cheese | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 19% | 41% |
| Fat | 61% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Kale is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than ricotta cheese - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Kale and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 0.27g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Ricotta cheese has 158% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 7.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Ricotta cheese is high in saturated fat and kale has 97% less saturated fat than ricotta cheese - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 6.4g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both ricotta cheese and kale are low in trans fat - ricotta cheese has 0.33g of trans fat per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Kale has less cholesterol than ricotta cheese - ricotta cheese has 49mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than ricotta cheese - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and ricotta cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both kale and ricotta cheese are high in Vitamin A. Kale has 101% more Vitamin A than ricotta cheese - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 120ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Ricotta cheese has more Vitamin D than kale - ricotta cheese has 10iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and kale does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Kale and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 353 times more Vitamin K than ricotta cheese - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 1.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, ricotta cheese contains more Vitamin B12. Both ricotta cheese and kale contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Ricotta Cheese | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.013 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.298 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.137 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.461 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.097 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 62 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.85 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and ricotta cheese are high in calcium. Kale has 23% more calcium than ricotta cheese - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has signficantly more iron than ricotta cheese - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 0.13mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and ricotta cheese are high in potassium. Kale has 59% more potassium than ricotta cheese - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 219mg 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,
| Ricotta Cheese | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 33 UG | 2873 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than ricotta cheese per 100 grams.
| Ricotta Cheese | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.378 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.004 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.006 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.054 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both ricotta cheese and kale contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Ricotta Cheese | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.014 G | 0.003 G |
| linoleic acid | 0.356 G | 0.291 G |
| Total | 0.37 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Ricotta Cheese (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk) and Kale (Kale, raw) .
Ricotta Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does kale or ricotta cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Ricotta cheese is high in calories and kale has 80% less calories than ricotta cheese - kale has 35 calories in 100g and ricotta cheese has 150 calories.
Does kale or ricotta cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale and ricotta cheese contain similar amounts of carbs - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and ricotta cheese has 7.3g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or ricotta cheese contain more calcium?
Both kale and ricotta cheese are high in calcium. Kale has 20% more calcium than ricotta cheese - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 206mg of calcium.
Does kale or ricotta cheese contain more potassium?
Both kale and ricotta cheese are high in potassium. Kale has 60% more potassium than ricotta cheese - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and ricotta cheese has 219mg of potassium.