Kale vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and squash:
- Both kale and squash are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has 58% less carbohydrates than squash.
- Kale has more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash, however, squash contains more alpha-carotene than kale.
- Kale has more riboflavin and folate.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale and squash contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to squash per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 91% |
| Fat | 31% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 58% less carbohydrates than squash - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both kale and squash are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 28% more dietary fiber than squash - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and squash contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale has 224% more protein than squash - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and squash are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both kale and squash are high in Vitamin C. Kale has 519% more Vitamin C than squash - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kale and squash are high in Vitamin A. Squash has 132% more Vitamin A than kale - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and squash has 558ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 388 times more Vitamin K than squash - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and squash has 1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin and folate. Both kale and squash contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Kale | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both kale and squash are high in calcium. Kale has 520% more calcium than squash - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 167% more iron than squash - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and squash are high in potassium. Kale has 23% more potassium than squash - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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 lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams, however, squash contains more alpha-carotene than kale per 100 grams. Both kale and squash contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Kale | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2873 UG | 4570 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 6261 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than squash per 100 grams.
| Kale | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than squash per 100 grams.
| Kale | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 0.014 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 G | 0.014 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.
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 squash contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale and squash contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.
Does kale or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 60% fewer carbohydrates than squash - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
Does kale or squash contain more calcium?
Both kale and squash are high in calcium. Kale has 520% more calcium than squash - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
Does kale or squash contain more potassium?
Both kale and squash are high in potassium. Kale has 20% more potassium than squash - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and squash has 284mg of potassium.