Every 100 kcal of kale brings 8.2 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 25th of the 105 vegetables in this database and 296th of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 2.94 g per 100 g ranks 21st in its group.
Protein accounts for roughly 33% of the calories in kale, making it moderately protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Weight for weight, kale has 2.4 g of protein for each gram of fat (2.94 g against 1.21 g per 100 g).
Set against brussels sprouts, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.5 g less protein (brussels sprouts has 4 g per 1 cup cooked).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 118 g, and it covers about 7% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.
Serving sizes
Protein in common portions of kale
Protein and calories in Kale for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
Portion
Weight
Protein
Calories
100 g
100 g
2.94 g
36 kcal
1 cup cooked (serving used here)
118 g
3.5 g
42 kcal
The USDA record lists no other household measure for this food; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.
Amino acids
Essential amino acids in kale
The nine essential amino acids in Kale, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acid
Per 100 g
Per serving
mg per g protein
leucine
0.205 g
0.24 g
70
lysine
0.176 g
0.21 g
60
valine
0.16 g
0.19 g
54
isoleucine
0.176 g
0.21 g
60
threonine
0.131 g
0.15 g
45
phenylalanine
0.15 g
0.18 g
51
methionine
0.029 g
0.03 g
10
histidine
0.172 g
0.2 g
59
tryptophan
0.035 g
0.04 g
12
Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.
SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.
Related
Other vegetables by protein per calorie
Swap for more protein per calorie
Collard greens - 8.2 g per 100 kcal, 5.1 g per 1 cup cooked
Okra - 8.5 g per 100 kcal, 3 g per 1 cup sliced cooked
2.94 g. The 1 cup cooked serving used on this page weighs 118 g and so carries 3.5 g.
How much protein do you get per 100 calories of kale?
8.2 g. That figure divides its 2.94 g of protein per 100 g by its 36 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.
Is the protein in kale complete?
No. On its own, the protein in kale is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.
What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of kale?
About 7%. One 1 cup cooked serving has 3.5 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.
Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #169238 (Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.