Kale vs. Romaine Lettuce
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Romaine Lettuce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
romaine lettuce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and romaine lettuce:
- Both kale and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, romaine lettuce contains more folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to romaine lettuce for protein. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for romaine lettuce, 26:65:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 65% |
| Fat | 31% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both kale and romaine lettuce are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in romaine lettuce comprise of 64% dietary fiber and 36% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both kale and romaine lettuce are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 95% more dietary fiber than romaine lettuce - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 137% more protein than romaine lettuce - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and romaine lettuce are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 22 times more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kale and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin A. Romaine lettuce has 81% more Vitamin A than kale - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both kale and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin K. Kale has 280% more Vitamin K than romaine lettuce - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, romaine lettuce contains more folate. Both kale and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Kale | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.067 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.313 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.074 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 136 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than romaine lettuce - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 65% more iron than romaine lettuce - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and romaine lettuce are high in potassium. Kale has 41% more potassium than romaine lettuce - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg 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,
| Kale | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 23.6 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 46.8 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | 22.58 mg | 2.2 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.05 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 kale and romaine lettuce contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Kale | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2873 UG | 5226 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 6261 UG | 2312 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.
| Kale | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.113 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.113 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than romaine lettuce per 100 grams.
| Kale | Romaine Lettuce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 0.047 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 G | 0.047 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Kale (Kale, raw) and Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) .
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Romaine Lettuce g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 romaine lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.
Does kale or romaine lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both kale and romaine lettuce are low in carbohydrates - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in romaine lettuce comprise of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar.
Does kale or romaine lettuce contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than romaine lettuce - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium.
Does kale or romaine lettuce contain more potassium?
Both kale and romaine lettuce are high in potassium. Kale has 40% more potassium than romaine lettuce - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium.