Collard Greens Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Raw collard greens provide 232mg calcium per 100g (18% DV) — comparable to kale (254mg) and nearly double the amount in broccoli (47mg). What makes collards stand out is their low oxalate content, similar to other Brassica vegetables. Oxalic acid binds calcium and prevents absorption, so low-oxalate greens deliver more usable calcium ^[1].

Research estimates that Brassica vegetables like collards and kale have calcium absorption rates of approximately 49-61%, versus only 5% for high-oxalate greens like spinach. This means that 100g of raw collards effectively delivers roughly 115-140mg of absorbable calcium — more than the ~5mg you'd absorb from 100g of spinach's 99mg total calcium ^[2].

One cup of cooked collard greens (190g) provides approximately 268mg total calcium from the boiled variant. While cooking reduces calcium concentration per 100g (from 232mg raw to 141mg cooked), the volume reduction means you consume more leaves per cup, partially offsetting the loss ^[1].

Raw collards deliver 437mcg vitamin K (phylloquinone) per 100g — 364% of the daily value. One cup of raw chopped collards (36g) provides approximately 157mcg (131% DV) from just 12 calories. This places collards among the top five food sources of vitamin K, alongside Swiss chard (830mcg), kale (390mcg), and spinach (483mcg) ^[1].

Cooking retains most of the vitamin K: boiled collards have approximately 407mcg per 100g. Since vitamin K is fat-soluble and heat-stable, it survives cooking methods well. One cup of cooked collards (190g) provides roughly 773mcg vitamin K — 644% DV ^[1].

Vitamin K's fat-soluble nature means absorption improves when collards are consumed with dietary fat. The Southern tradition of braising collards with a small amount of fat (or adding oil) isn't just for flavor — it enhances the bioavailability of this key nutrient ^[2].

Boiling collards and draining the liquid (pot liquor) removes water-soluble nutrients: vitamin C drops from 35.3mg to 18.2mg per 100g (48% reduction), folate from 129mcg to 16mcg (88% reduction), and potassium from 213mg to 117mg (45% reduction). Iron, however, increases from 0.47mg to 1.1mg per 100g, likely from cooking vessel contribution ^[1].

The traditional Southern approach — braising collards slowly in broth and consuming the pot liquor — recaptures many of the leached nutrients. Drinking the cooking liquid returns much of the lost vitamin C, folate, and potassium. The trade-off: braised collards often include added sodium from broth (approximately 120mg per 100g vs. 15mg for plain boiled) ^[3].

For maximum nutrient retention without added sodium, steaming collards preserves approximately 75-85% of vitamin C and 80-90% of folate compared to raw. Quick sautéing in olive oil (2-3 minutes) is another option that retains nutrients while adding the fat needed for vitamin K absorption ^[2].

Both collard greens and kale belong to the *Brassica oleracea* species — they're essentially the same plant bred for different traits. Nutritionally, they share the advantages of low oxalate and high calcium, but differ in specifics: Calcium: collards 232mg vs. kale 254mg. Vitamin K: collards 437mcg vs. kale 390mcg ^[1].

Folate: collards 129mcg vs. kale 62mcg — collards provide more than double the folate. Vitamin C: kale 93.4mg vs. collards 35.3mg — kale has nearly 3x more. Fiber: both around 4g per 100g. Calories are similar: collards 32 kcal vs. kale 35 kcal ^[1].

In practice, collards are better for folate and vitamin K logging, while kale excels for vitamin C. Both are excellent low-oxalate calcium sources. The choice often comes down to texture preference and culinary tradition: collards are thicker and better suited to long braising, while kale's curly leaves work well raw in salads ^[3].

Collard greens provide 129mcg folate per 100g (32% DV) — one of the highest levels among common green vegetables. This surpasses kale (62mcg), broccoli (63mcg), and Swiss chard (14mcg). Only spinach (194mcg) consistently offers more folate per 100g among leafy greens ^[1].

One cup of raw collards (36g) delivers approximately 46mcg folate (12% DV). Since raw consumption of collards is less common than cooked, note that boiling reduces folate to about 16mcg per 100g — an 88% reduction, because folate is both heat-sensitive and water-soluble ^[1].

To maximize folate retention, avoid prolonged boiling. Steaming, quick sautéing, or consuming collards raw (thinly sliced in salads) preserves significantly more folate. One cup of boiled collards (190g) provides approximately 30mcg folate (8% DV) — a dramatic reduction from the 246mcg available in the same amount of raw leaves ^[2].