Collard Greens vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Collard Greens and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
collard greens
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in collard greens and spirulina:
- Both collard greens and spirulina are high in calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Collard green has 3.4 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Collard green has 47.1 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Collard Greens (Collards, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and collard green has 89% less calories than spirulina - collard green has 32 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, collard greens is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Collard greens has a macronutrient ratio of 31:55:14 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Collard Greens | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 31% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 55% | 24% |
| Fat | 14% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Collard green has 3.4 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - collard green has 5.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both collard greens and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Collard green has 11% more dietary fiber than spirulina - collard green has 4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Collard greens and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - collard green has 0.46g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 18 times more protein than collard green - collard green has 3g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Collard green has 47.1 times less saturated fat than spirulina - collard green has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 250% more Vitamin C than spirulina - collard green has 35.3mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 766% more Vitamin A than spirulina - collard green has 251ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 121% more Vitamin E than collard green - collard green has 2.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 16 times more Vitamin K than spirulina - collard green has 437.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both collard greens and spirulina contain significant amounts of folate.
| Collard Greens | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.054 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.13 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.742 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.267 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.165 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 129 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both collard greens and spirulina are high in calcium. Collard green has 93% more calcium than spirulina - collard green has 232mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 59 times more iron than collard green - collard green has 0.47mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both collard greens and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 540% more potassium than collard green - collard green has 213mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg 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,
| Collard Greens | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2991 UG | 342 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 14 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4323 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than collard green per 100 grams.
| Collard Greens | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.108 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.108 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than collard green per 100 grams.
| Collard Greens | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.082 G | 1.254 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.084 G | 1.254 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Collard Greens or Spirulina .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Collard Greens (Collards, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Collard Greens g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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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% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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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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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does collard greens or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and collard green has 90% less calories than spirulina - collard green has 32 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is collard greens or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 18 times more protein than collard green - collard green has 3g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does collard greens or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, collard green has 3.4 times fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - collard green has 5.4g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does collard greens or spirulina contain more calcium?
Both collard greens and spirulina are high in calcium. Collard green has 90% more calcium than spirulina - collard green has 232mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does collard greens or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 59 times more iron than collard green - collard green has 0.47mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does collard greens or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both collard greens and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 540% more potassium than collard green - collard green has 213mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.