Thyme vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Thyme and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
thyme
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in thyme and kale:
- Both kale and thyme are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than thyme.
- Kale has more thiamin, however, thyme contains more Vitamin B6.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
- Thyme is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Thyme (Thyme, fresh) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Thyme is high in calories and kale has 65% less calories than thyme - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and thyme has 101 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, thyme is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Thyme has a macronutrient ratio of 0:100:0 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Thyme | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 100% | 41% |
| Fat | ~ | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than thyme - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and thyme has 24.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and thyme are high in dietary fiber. Thyme has 241% more dietary fiber than kale - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and thyme has 14g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and thyme contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and thyme does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Thyme has 90% more protein than kale - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and thyme has 5.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and thyme are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and thyme has 0.47g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both kale and thyme are high in Vitamin C. Thyme has 71% more Vitamin C than kale - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and thyme has 160.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kale and thyme are high in Vitamin A. Kale is very similar to thyme for Vitamin A - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and thyme has 238ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale has more Vitamin E than thyme - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and thyme does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than thyme - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and thyme does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, however, thyme contains more Vitamin B6. Both thyme and kale contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
| Thyme | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.048 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.471 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 1.824 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.409 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.348 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 45 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and thyme are high in calcium. Thyme has 59% more calcium than kale - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and thyme has 405mg of calcium.
iron
Thyme is an excellent source of iron and it has 991% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and thyme has 17.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and thyme are high in potassium. Thyme has 75% more potassium than kale - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and thyme has 609mg 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, thyme has more apigenin and luteolin than kale per 100 grams, however, kale contains more isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin than thyme per 100 grams.
| Thyme | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 2.5 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 45.25 mg | ~ |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 23.6 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 46.8 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 22.58 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, both thyme and kale contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Thyme | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2851 UG | 2873 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both thyme and kale contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Thyme | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.447 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.447 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than thyme per 100 grams.
| Thyme | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.085 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.085 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.
Thyme g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 thyme contain more calories in 100 grams?Thyme is high in calories and kale has 70% less calories than thyme - kale has 35 calories in 100g and thyme has 101 calories.
Does kale or thyme have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 4.5 times fewer carbohydrates than thyme - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and thyme has 24.5g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or thyme contain more calcium?
Both kale and thyme are high in calcium. Thyme has 60% more calcium than kale - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and thyme has 405mg of calcium.
Does kale or thyme contain more iron?
Thyme is an abundant source of iron and it has 990% more iron than kale - kale has 1.6mg of iron in 100 grams and thyme has 17.5mg of iron.
Does kale or thyme contain more potassium?
Both kale and thyme are high in potassium. Thyme has 80% more potassium than kale - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and thyme has 609mg of potassium.