Kale is the cinderella of leafy greens, it seems in the past few years it’s gone from
bottom of the barrel food to diet mainstay. But does it really deserve to be this popular?
Hey there, Julia here for Dnews.
It’s no secret fruits and veggies are good for you. Like REALLY GOOD FOR YOU. They’re
densely packed with lots of nutrients and are known to fight cancer and heart disease.
But recently Kale has gone from garnish to main course, sales went up 400% in the course
of a year, a group of doctors and chefs even petitioned the white house to make October
2nd National Kale day. But who is the true king of so-called super foods? In a recent
report from the Center for Disease control, it’s not kale. The popular green placed
a paltry 15th. In terms of nutrient density, other leafy greens like chicory and chinese
cabbage bested the super popular super food.
Chopping the CDC charts with a Nutrient density ranking of 100, watercress. Per calorie
it packs the biggest nutrient punch. The tangy salad and sandwich topper is low on calories
but high in vitamins and minerals. Some studies show it might even fight cancer. One study
suggested a compound found in the plant could turn off a protein that breast cancer needs
to go.
In comparison, while it still contains vitamins and minerals and also helps fight cancer,
kale’s nutrient density is only 49.
But before you call for a national watercress day, consider this. The reason watercress
bests kale on this list is all about the calories. The Nutrient Density Scores are based on nutrients
per calorie. So kale’s score of 49 means that you get about half of the nutrients you
need in 100 calories of kale. Watercress’s score of 100 means you get about all of the
nutrients you need in 100 calories of watercress.
In terms of what you actually eat, counting serving size, not calories, gives you a better
idea. One cup of watercress contains just 4 calories but provides 106% of the vitamin
K you need and about a quarter of vitamins A and C.
Just one cup of kale on the other hand contains
33 calories but those calories pack a punch, and contain over 6 times the amount of vitamin
K you should get and over 100% of your recommended vitamin A & C intake. Personally, I’d prefer
a cup of kale to more than a cup of watercress to get the same healthy goodness.
So cup for cup, kale still wins. But you really can’t go wrong with any vegetable. Others
on the CDC list like, broccoli and cauliflower have been shown to reduce lung cancer in mice
AND humans. Tomatoes, carrots, and blackberries are also super healthy and contain compounds
that fight cancer and heart disease. While trends come and go, at the end of the day
you can’t lose with a diet of fruits and veggies.