Apple vs. Kale
Nutrition comparison of Apple and Kale
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
apple
versus
kale
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in apple and kale:
- Both kale and apple are high in dietary fiber.
- Kale has 68% less carbohydrates than apple.
- Kale has 9.4 times less sugar than apple.
- Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Kale has signficantly more iron than apple.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Kale (Kale, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and apple contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and apple has 52 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, apple is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to kale per calorie. Apple has a macronutrient ratio of 2:96:3 and for kale, 28:41:31 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Apple | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 96% | 41% |
| Fat | 3% | 31% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 68% less carbohydrates than apple - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 81% sugar and 19% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both kale and apple are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 71% more dietary fiber than apple - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and apple has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale has 9.4 times less sugar than apple - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and apple has 10.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 10 times more protein than apple - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and apple are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and apple has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 19 times more Vitamin C than apple - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and apple has 4.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 79 times more Vitamin A than apple - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and apple has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and apple has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 176 times more Vitamin K than apple - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and apple has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Apple | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.017 MG | 0.113 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.026 MG | 0.347 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 1.18 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.061 MG | 0.37 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | 0.147 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 62 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 41 times more calcium than apple - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has signficantly more iron than apple - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.
potassium
Kale is an excellent source of potassium and it has 225% more potassium than apple - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and apple has 107mg 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,
| Apple | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.12 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.14 mg | 46.8 mg |
| Quercetin | 4.01 mg | 22.58 mg |
| isorhamnetin | ~ | 23.6 mg |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than apple per 100 grams.
| Apple | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.378 G |
| Total | 0.009 G | 0.378 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than apple per 100 grams.
| Apple | Kale | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.291 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.043 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.
Apple 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 apple contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and apple contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and apple has 52 calories.
Does kale or apple have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 70% fewer carbohydrates than apple - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 80% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.
Does kale or apple contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 41 times more calcium than apple - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
Does kale or apple contain more potassium?
Kale is a rich source of potassium and it has 230% more potassium than apple - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and apple has 107mg of potassium.