Endive Nutrition Calculator — Calories & Nutrition per Serving

Raw endive (FDC 169241) delivers 231mcg vitamin K per 100g (193% DV) — nearly double the daily value in a single serving. Among leafy greens, only spinach (483mcg) and kale (390mcg) consistently surpass endive. Combined with 142mcg folate (36% DV), endive provides two key micronutrients at excellent-source levels simultaneously ^[1].

One cup of chopped endive (~50g) provides 115.5mcg vitamin K (96% DV) and 71mcg folate (18% DV) at just 8.5 calories. This per-calorie efficiency rivals watercress — but endive adds substantially more folate (142mcg vs. watercress's 9mcg per 100g). For combined vitamin K and folate logging, endive is one of the most efficient single-food sources ^[1].

Additional standouts include manganese at 0.42mg (18% DV), zinc at 0.79mg (7% DV) — unusually high for a leafy vegetable — and vitamin A at 108mcg RAE (12% DV). The overall micro profile: six nutrients above 7% DV at just 17 calories per 100g ^[1][2].

Endive contains 3.1g dietary fiber per 100g (11% DV) at just 17 calories — giving it a fiber-to-calorie ratio of 0.18g per calorie. This is among the highest of any common vegetable: broccoli has 0.08g/kcal, kale has 0.12g/kcal, and even celery has 0.11g/kcal. Only shirataki noodles (near-zero calories) technically exceed this ratio ^[1].

The carbohydrate breakdown is remarkable: of the 3.35g total carbohydrates, 3.1g is fiber and only 0.25g is sugar. This means 93% of endive's carbohydrates are fiber — nearly all the carb content is non-digestible. For low-carb logging, net carbs are just 0.25g per 100g, making endive one of the lowest net-carb vegetables available ^[1].

One full head of curly endive (~513g) provides approximately 15.9g fiber (57% DV) at only 87 calories. While eating an entire head is unusual, it illustrates endive's fiber density. More practically, one cup (50g) adds 1.55g fiber at 8.5 calories — a meaningful fiber contribution with negligible caloric impact ^[2].

Curly endive (frisée) and Belgian endive (witloof) belong to different species — curly endive is *Cichorium endivia*, while Belgian endive is *Cichorium intybus* var. foliosum. The USDA data (FDC 169241) primarily reflects curly endive. Belgian endive, grown in darkness to prevent greening, has a significantly different nutrient profile ^[2].

Curly endive wins in nearly every nutrient category: 108mcg vs. ~1mcg vitamin A RAE (the pale Belgian leaves have almost no beta-carotene), 52mg vs. 19mg calcium, 142mcg vs. ~37mcg folate, 0.83mg vs. 0.24mg iron, and 314mg vs. 211mg potassium. The only similarity is fiber (both ~3.1g/100g) and calories (both ~17 kcal/100g) ^[1][3].

For nutrition logging, specifying which type of endive you're consuming matters significantly. If your recipe uses Belgian endive (the pale, torpedo-shaped heads), vitamin A, folate, and mineral values will be substantially lower than the standard USDA endive entry suggests. This calculator defaults to curly endive unless the Belgian variant is selected ^[3].

Endive, chicory greens, and radicchio are all in the *Cichorium* genus. Curly endive (*C. endivia*) has the highest vitamin K (231mcg) and folate (142mcg) of the group. Chicory greens (*C. intybus*) lead in vitamin A (~286mcg RAE) and are richer in inulin fiber. Radicchio (*C. intybus* var. *foliosum*) has the lowest nutrient density among the three but is valued for its color and flavor ^[1].

The bitter flavor common to all three comes from sesquiterpene lactones — particularly lactucopicrin and lactucin. These bitter compounds are concentrated in the white ribs and increase with plant maturity. They contribute no calories and are not measured in standard USDA nutrient panels ^[3][4].

For meal logging, these greens are often used interchangeably in salads and bitter-green preparations. The key difference is that endive provides the most vitamin K per gram, chicory greens provide the most vitamin A, and radicchio provides the least of both. Mixing varieties in a salad creates a broader micronutrient profile than using any single green ^[2].

Raw endive preserves the full folate (142mcg) and vitamin C (6.5mg) content. Curly endive is typically used raw in frisée salads, while Belgian endive leaves serve as edible scoops for appetizers. Raw is the most reliable baseline for nutrition logging ^[1].

Braising Belgian endive — a classic French preparation with butter — raises calories to approximately 38 kcal per 100g (from 17 kcal raw) due to added fat. Vitamin C drops to approximately 3.5mg (~46% loss), and folate decreases to roughly 100mcg (~30% loss). However, vitamin K is fat-soluble and well-preserved, remaining around 220mcg per 100g cooked ^[2].

Grilling halved endive concentrates nutrients through water loss: potassium rises to approximately 340mg and fiber to 3.4g per 100g cooked. Vitamin C drops to about 3mg (~54% loss from raw). The caramelization from grilling sweetens endive's natural bitterness — but the nutritional impact is similar to braising: calories increase modestly, vitamin C decreases, and fat-soluble nutrients remain stable ^[3].