Kale: Calories, Nutrition & Healthier Swaps
49 kcal per 100 g · Nutri-Score A
sugar: low saturated fat: low salt: low fiber: medium
Kale is a leafy cabbage packed with vitamins K and C; its sturdy leaves work well raw if you massage them with a little oil.
Kale nutrition facts per 100 g and per serving
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Serving: serving, 80 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 49 kcal | 39 kcal |
| Protein | 4.3 g | 3.4 g |
| Fat | 0.9 g | 0.7 g |
| incl. saturated | 0.1 g | 0.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 5.6 g | 4.5 g |
| incl. sugars | 2.3 g | 1.8 g |
| Fiber | 3.6 g | 2.9 g |
| Salt | 0.1 g | 0.1 g |
Values per 100 g as eaten, averaged from food composition tables (USDA FoodData Central and others) and rounded — a specific brand or recipe will differ a little.
Kale: nutrition highlights
It has 2.9 g of fiber per serving — roughly 12% of the 25 g a day most adults fall short of. It's light: 49 kcal per 100 g, so even a big serving barely moves your daily total.
On the open Nutri-Score algorithm, kale gets an A: one of the better picks in its category. The score weighs calories, sugar, saturated fat and salt against protein, fiber and the share of fruit, vegetables, legumes and nuts.
What to watch
- No red flags on the traffic light: sugar, salt and saturated fat per 100 g are all within the low-to-medium range.
How much movement is one serving?
One serving (serving, 80 g) is 39 kcal — roughly 13 min of easy walking or 5 min of cycling for a 70 kg (154 lb) person. In the diary, minutes are worked out for your weight and the activities you actually do.
Healthier swaps for Kale
There's no swap in our base that is clearly better at the same calories — kale is already one of the better choices in its category.
More in vegetables
CucumberTomatoesCarrotsBroccoliCauliflowerSpinachEggplantBell PepperOnionGarlic