Collard greens are a staple of Southern cooking and one of the most nutrient-packed leafy vegetables you can add to a plate. While they are not a complete protein, they supply a meaningful amount of plant-based protein per serving, along with fiber, calcium, and vitamins A and K. This Collard Protein Calculator makes it easy to estimate exactly how much protein you get from any portion you measure.
Choose between raw chopped collards and boiled, drained collards, then enter your serving in grams, ounces, or cups. The tool instantly converts your serving to one standard measure, applies the correct protein density, and reports protein grams, protein calories, total estimated calories, and the percent of a chosen daily protein target. Use it for meal planning, macro tracking, or simply to understand how collards compare with other proteins in your diet.
The FDA uses 50 g for general daily value labeling.
Step-by-Step Guide
Start by typing the serving size in the number field. The default is 100 g, but you can enter any whole or decimal amount. Next, choose the unit that matches how you measured your collards: grams, ounces, or US cups. Then select the preparation form from the dropdown. The two options are raw chopped collards and boiled, drained collards.
The preparation dropdown matters more than it might seem. Boiling changes the structure of the leaves and adds water weight, so 100 g of cooked collards has slightly different protein and calorie values than 100 g of raw collards. The calculator also uses different cup-weight assumptions for each form: about 36 g for a cup of raw chopped leaves and about 185 g for a cup of cooked, chopped collards. This means a cooked cup delivers more total protein than a raw cup, even though the protein density per 100 g is a little lower.
- If your recipe or food scale gives grams, enter the weight directly.
- For ounces, the tool converts using 1 oz = 28.35 g.
- For cups, the tool uses the average cup weight for the selected preparation form.
For the most accurate results, weigh collards on a kitchen scale. Cup volumes are handy for recipes, but chopping style and moisture can shift the actual weight.
Collard Protein Reference Values
The nutrition values used in this calculator come from the USDA FoodData Central database. They are averages for raw and boiled collard greens and may vary slightly by cultivar, growing conditions, and cooking time.
| Form | Protein per 100 g | Calories per 100 g | Typical cup weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw chopped | 3.02 g | 32 kcal | 36 g |
| Boiled, drained | 2.71 g | 35 kcal | 185 g |
How the Calculation Works
The calculator uses a simple three-step method. First, it converts your serving to grams. If you enter 2 cups of cooked collards, for example, it multiplies 2 by 185 g to get 370 g. If you enter 4 oz of raw collards, it multiplies 4 by 28.35 g to get 113.4 g. If you enter grams, no conversion is needed.
Next, it applies the appropriate protein density from the table above. Raw collards contain approximately 3.02 g of protein per 100 g, while boiled collards contain about 2.71 g per 100 g. The protein mass is then multiplied by 4 kcal/g to estimate protein calories, and divided by your daily reference to report percent Daily Value. The same converted grams are used to estimate total calories and the protein share of calories.
Example: 1 cup of cooked collards converts to 185 g. Protein = 185 × 2.71 ÷ 100 = 5.01 g. Protein calories = 5.01 × 4 = 20 kcal. Estimated total calories = 185 × 35 ÷ 100 = 65 kcal, so protein provides about 31% of the calories.
Worked Examples
Example A: 200 g raw collards. Converted grams = 200. Protein = 200 × 3.02 ÷ 100 = 6.04 g. Protein calories = 24 kcal, total calories = 64 kcal, and protein makes up about 37.8% of calories. Against a 50 g daily target, this serving provides 12.1% of daily protein.
Example B: 3 cups cooked collards. Converted grams = 3 × 185 = 555 g. Protein = 555 × 2.71 ÷ 100 = 15.04 g. Protein calories = 60 kcal, total calories = 194 kcal, protein share ≈ 31%. This is a substantial protein boost from a side dish, and it also delivers large amounts of fiber, calcium, and vitamin A.
Example C: 1 oz raw collards. Converted grams = 28.35 g. Protein = 28.35 × 3.02 ÷ 100 = 0.86 g. Small amounts of leafy greens add modest protein, but they still count if you are tracking carefully.
Tips for Better Macro Tracking
Collard greens are high in water and fiber, which makes kitchen-scale weighing more reliable than volume measures. If a recipe calls for one bunch, weigh the trimmed leaves instead of guessing. A typical bunch can range from 250 g to more than 500 g, so protein content can vary by several grams.
Pair collards with legumes, eggs, chicken, or tofu to round out your protein intake for the meal. Because collards contain a small amount of protein but also supply potassium, calcium, and vitamins, they are a smart addition to any diet plan. For a more complete look at protein from multiple foods, use the general protein calorie calculator to see how protein grams translate into total daily calories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are collard greens a complete protein? No. Like most vegetables, collards are low in one or more essential amino acids, so they should be combined with other protein sources throughout the day. That does not reduce their value as a nutrient-dense food.
Why does cooked collards have less protein per 100 g than raw? Cooking adds water and can leach some nutrients into the cooking liquid, so the protein percentage by weight drops. However, cooked greens are more compact, so a typical cooked cup delivers more protein than a raw cup.
Can I use this calculator for frozen or canned collards? The current values are for raw and boiled collards only. Frozen or canned products can have different water content and added sodium, so check the package nutrition label for a more precise number.
If you are following a ketogenic or low-carb meal plan, keep in mind that collards also contain carbohydrates. This tool focuses on protein, so pair it with a full nutrition database for carb and micronutrient tracking.