Banana vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Banana and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
banana
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in banana and kale:
- Both kale and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has 11.3 times less sugar than banana.
- Kale has 4.1 times less carbohydrates than banana.
- Kale has 61% less calories than banana.
- Kale has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than kale.
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, banana contains more Vitamin B6.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale has 61% less calories than banana - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, banana is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Banana | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 93% | 41% |
| Fat | 3% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 4.1 times less carbohydrates than banana - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and banana are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 58% more dietary fiber than banana - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale has 11.3 times less sugar than banana - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 168% more protein than banana - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and banana are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 974% more Vitamin C than banana - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 79 times more Vitamin A than banana - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 778 times more Vitamin K than banana - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, banana contains more Vitamin B6. Both banana and kale contain significant amounts of niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Banana | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.665 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.334 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.367 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 20 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 49 times more calcium than banana - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 515% more iron than banana - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and banana are high in potassium. Kale is very similar to kale for potassium - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg 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,
| Banana | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.11 mg | 46.8 mg |
| myricetin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.06 mg | 22.58 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 23.6 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, kale has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than kale per 100 grams.
| Banana | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 26 UG | 2873 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 25 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | 6261 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than banana per 100 grams.
| Banana | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.027 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.027 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than banana per 100 grams.
| Banana | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.046 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.
Banana g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Kale 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 banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale has 60% less calories than banana - kale has 35 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Does kale or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 4.1 times fewer carbohydrates than banana - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or banana contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 49 times more calcium than banana - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
Does kale or banana contain more potassium?
Both kale and banana are high in potassium. Kale is very similar to kale for potassium - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.