Kale vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and spirulina:
- Both kale and spirulina are high in calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has 13.8 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Kale has 4.4 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Kale 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: Kale (Kale, 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 kale has 88% less calories than spirulina - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 24% |
| Fat | 31% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 4.4 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 14% more dietary fiber than spirulina - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g 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 kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Kale has 13.8 times less saturated fat than spirulina - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 825% more Vitamin C than spirulina - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 731% more Vitamin A than spirulina - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 658% more Vitamin E than kale - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 14 times more Vitamin K than spirulina - kale has 389.6ug 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 kale and spirulina contain significant amounts of folate.
| Kale | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and spirulina are high in calcium. Kale has 112% more calcium than spirulina - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 16 times more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 292% more potassium than kale - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than kale per 100 grams.
| Kale | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than kale per 100 grams.
| Kale | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 1.254 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 G | 1.254 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 (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and kale has 90% less calories than spirulina - kale has 35 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is kale or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 18 times more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does kale or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 4.4 times fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or spirulina contain more calcium?
Both kale and spirulina are high in calcium. Kale has 110% more calcium than spirulina - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does kale or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 16 times more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does kale or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both kale and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 290% more potassium than kale - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.