In short: 100 g of kale contains 35 calories, 2.9 g of protein, 4.4 g of carbohydrate and 1.5 g of fat. A cup (21 g) portion has about 7 calories and 0.61 g of protein.
Below are the full values per 100 g and per typical portion, taken from the USDA FoodData Central figure for this exact food, followed by what those numbers mean in practice.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 35 kcal | 7 kcal |
| Protein | 2.9 g | 0.61 g |
| Total fat | 1.5 g | 0.31 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.18 g | 0.04 g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.1 g | 0.02 g |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.67 g | 0.14 g |
| Carbohydrate | 4.4 g | 0.93 g |
| Dietary fiber | 4.1 g | 0.86 g |
| Total sugars | 0.99 g | 0.21 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 53 mg | 11 mg |
It contributes 4.1 g of fiber per 100 g toward the 28 g daily value.
It is low in sodium, at 53 mg per 100 g.
The standout micronutrient is vitamin K, at 325% of the daily value per 100 g — vitamin K is needed for blood clotting.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup |
|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 348 mg | 73 mg |
| Calcium | 254 mg | 53 mg |
| Iron | 1.6 mg | 0.34 mg |
| Magnesium | 33 mg | 6.9 mg |
| Zinc | 0.39 mg | 0.08 mg |
| Selenium | 0.9 µg | 0.19 µg |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 241 µg | 51 µg |
| Vitamin C | 93 mg | 20 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg |
| Vitamin E | 0.66 mg | 0.14 mg |
| Vitamin K | 390 µg | 82 µg |
| Thiamin | 0.11 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.35 mg | 0.07 mg |
| Niacin | 1.2 mg | 0.25 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.15 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0 µg | 0 µg |
| Folate | 62 µg | 13 µg |
| Choline | 0.5 mg | 0.1 mg |
How it compares with similar foods
Protein per calorie is the measure that matters when the goal is to hit a protein target without overshooting total energy. By protein per 100 calories it ranks 30th out of 109 foods in this reference. Within fruit and vegetables, the highest are:
| Food | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Mushrooms | 3.1 g | 22 kcal |
| Cooked Spinach | 3 g | 23 kcal |
| Spinach | 2.9 g | 23 kcal |
How to use these numbers
Percentages of daily value are calculated from the FDA Daily Values used on US nutrition labels, which assume a 2,000 calorie diet; your own targets may be higher or lower. If you want the values for your own body weight and activity level rather than a reference diet, the protein and macro calculator turns a calorie and protein target into numbers you can use.
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Source
All values come from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), food ID 168421, published under CC0 1.0 as public domain data. Values are per 100 g of the food as described: Kale, raw.