Nutrition facts · Vegetables
Calories in Kale
Raw kale has 35 calories per 100 g, and 1 cup, chopped (21 g) has about 7 calories. Carbohydrates supply the largest share of its calories, with 4.4 g per 100 g, much of it fiber. Protein and fat together add a similar share.
Calories come from: Carbs 41% · Fat 32% · Protein 27%
Common servings
| Serving | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 100 g | 35 kcal | 2.9 g | 4.4 g | 1.5 g |
| 1 cup, chopped | 21 g | 7 kcal | 0.6 g | 0.9 g | 0.3 g |
Full nutrition (Per 100 g)
| Calories | 35 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 2.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4.4 g |
| of which sugars | 1 g |
| Fiber | 4.1 g |
| Fat | 1.5 g |
| of which saturated | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 53 mg |
What changes the calories
- Cooking kale shrinks it a lot as it loses water, so a cup of cooked kale holds far more leaves and calories than a cup of raw.
- Sautéing or roasting kale in oil adds the calories of the oil, which can easily outweigh the kale itself.
- Kale chips and dressed kale salads often get most of their calories from oil, cheese, nuts or dressing rather than the leaves.
- Weighing kale with its tough stems on versus stripped leaves changes how much edible kale you are actually logging.
Tips for logging it accurately
- Weigh kale in grams rather than using cups, since how loosely or tightly it is packed changes the amount a lot.
- Log raw kale by its raw weight, and log any oil, dressing or toppings as separate items.
- In BerryFit, snap a photo of your kale salad or stir-fry, then check that the oil and dressing were picked up and adjust the portions if needed.
Log Kale in seconds
Snap a photo of your meal or search for Kale in BerryFit to track calories and macros against your own daily target.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a cup of kale?
One cup of chopped raw kale (21 g) has about 7 calories, with 0.6 g protein, 0.9 g carbs and 0.3 g fat.
Is kale high in protein?
Raw kale has 2.9 g of protein per 100 g. That is notable for a leafy green, but small compared with foods like meat, eggs or beans.
Does cooked kale have more calories than raw?
Kale wilts and shrinks a lot when cooked, so a cup of cooked kale holds more leaves and calories than a cup of raw. Per gram, plain cooked kale is similar to or lower than raw, especially if boiled. Cooking oil or butter adds its own calories.
How many carbs are in kale?
Raw kale has 4.4 g of carbs per 100 g, of which 4.1 g is fiber and 1 g is sugar.
Similar foods
Calories in common foodsValues per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central (Kale, raw, FDC ID 168421); servings use USDA portion weights. Real foods vary by variety, ripeness and preparation.
The text on this page was written with the help of AI (Anthropic's Claude) and checked against the numbers in a separate review. The numbers themselves come only from USDA.
