Carbohydrate and Calorie Information for Collard Greens

Collard greens (or collards) are a member of the cabbage (Brassica family) of vegetables. This group is also referred to as cruciferous vegetables. Collard greens are considered to be one of the most nutritious foods per calorie (see details below). You may be surprised to hear that each ounce of collard greens has 1 gram of fat, most of which is made up of omega-3 fatty acids (this is true of many green leafy vegetables).

Carbohydrate and Fiber Counts for Collard Greens

• 1 cup chopped raw collards: 1 gram effective (net) carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber and 11 calories
• 4 oz. (¼ pound) raw collards: 2 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 4 grams fiber and 34 calories
• ½ cup cooked collards: 2 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber and 25 calories

Glycemic Index for Collard Greens

As with most non-starchy vegetables, there is no scientific study of the glycemic index of collards.

More Information about the Glycemic Index

Estimated Glycemic Load of Collard Greens

• 1 cup raw collards: 1
• 4 oz. (¼ pound) raw collards: 1
• ½ cup cooked collards: 1

More Information About the Glycemic Load

Health Benefits of Collard Greens

Leafy greens like collards are simply packed with nutrients. Collard greens are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K (half a cup of cooked collard greens has 8 times the daily requirement!), vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, beta-carotene and other carotenoids, lutein. The cruciferous vegetables have been shown to have anti-cancer properties.

More Information on the Health Benefits Leafy Greens

Low-Carb Recipes with Collard Greens

• How to Cook Greens
  
  
• Garlic Greens (from About.com's Southern Food site)

More Information About Collard Greens at Calorie Count.

_Sources:

_{Leroux, MarcusFoster-Powell, Kaye, Holt, Susanna and Brand-Miller, Janette. "International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 76, No. 1, 5-56, (2002).}

_{USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21.}