Broccoli rabe calories come to 21 for 1 cup cooked (85 g) and 25 per 100 g. The number worth noticing is where they come from: 47 percent of the calories are protein, an unusual share for a leafy green. Even a whole 437 g bunch, cooked, totals just 109 calories.
21kcal
1 cup cooked · 85 g, cooked
47%protein
3.3 gProtein
3 gCarbs
0.4 gFat
How to burn off 21 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Cooked · per 85 g
Calories
21 kcal
Protein
3.3 g
Carbohydrate
2.7 g
Fat
0.4 g
Saturated fat
0.1 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
48 mg
Potassium
292 mg
Iron
1.1 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified September 2026. How we verify our data →
Broccoli rabe: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 cup cooked (85 g)
21
3.3 g
2.7 g
0.4 g
48 mg
1%
Whole bunch (437 g)
109
16.7 g
13.6 g
2.3 g
245 mg
5%
Raw cup (40 g)
9
1.3 g
1.1 g
0.2 g
13 mg
0%
100 g
25
3.8 g
3.1 g
0.5 g
56 mg
1%
3 × 1 cup cooked (85 g)
64
9.8 g
143 mg
5 × 1 cup cooked (85 g)
106
16.3 g
238 mg
A whole bunch is a 109-calorie side
One cup of cooked broccoli rabe weighs 85 g and carries 21 calories. That is the serving most recipes and logs use, and it barely registers in a day's total at 1 percent of a 2000-calorie daily value. Doubling it to 2 cups (170 g) brings you to 43 calories, and 3 cups (255 g) land at 64.
The bigger picture is the whole bunch. A 437 g bunch, cooked down, holds 109 calories, 16.7 g of protein and 12.2 g of fiber. Eat 5 cups (425 g) and you are at 106 calories. Few foods let you eat that much volume for so little energy, so portion size is rarely the issue here.
Raw is a different measurement. A raw cup weighs only 40 g and comes to 9 calories, because the loose leaves take up space that cooking removes. If you log raw greens and then cook them, log by weight rather than by cup, or the totals will drift.
Protein supplies nearly half the calories
The calorie split is 47 percent protein, 38 percent carbohydrate and 14 percent fat. Most vegetables lean heavily on carbs. Broccoli rabe does not, which makes it a quiet contributor to protein on a plate that already has a main source.
Per 100 g you get 3.8 g of protein, 3.1 g of carbohydrate and 0.5 g of fat. The 1-cup cooked serving delivers 3.3 g of protein, about 7 percent of the 50 g daily value. A whole bunch reaches 16.7 g, or 33 percent of that daily value, which is a real amount from a side dish.
Keep it in proportion, though. The protein share is high because total calories are so low, not because the absolute grams rival meat, beans or eggs. Treat it as a bonus on top of your main protein, not a replacement for it.
Fiber outweighs sugar almost five to one
Of the 3.1 g of carbohydrate in 100 g, 2.8 g is fiber and only 0.6 g is sugar. A cooked cup gives you 2.4 g of fiber against 0.5 g of sugar. Those few carbs are mostly the kind that adds bulk rather than sweetness.
Sodium is low on its own: 56 mg per 100 g and 48 mg per cooked cup, about 2 percent of the 2300 mg daily value. A whole bunch reaches 245 mg, or 11 percent. If you watch sodium, the salt you add while cooking will matter far more than the vegetable itself.
The rest of the label is clean. Cholesterol is 0, saturated fat is 0.1 g per 100 g, and potassium comes in at 343 mg per 100 g. There is no row here that calls for caution in the plain cooked vegetable.
The cooking fat decides the final number
These figures describe broccoli rabe cooked without added fat. The classic preparation, sautéed with olive oil and garlic, changes the math fast, since the oil will usually carry more calories than the greens. If you are counting, measure the oil separately and log it as its own line.
The slight bitterness pairs well with rich or starchy foods: pasta, white beans, sausage, polenta or a fried egg. Those partners bring the calories, while the rabe adds volume, fiber and color for very little. Frozen packs from brands like Woodstock and Seabrook Farms make it easy to keep on hand, and you can log a plate in BodyPal from a photo.
A practical approach is to let broccoli rabe take up a large share of the plate and let the richer foods take a smaller one. You keep the dish satisfying without leaning on extra calories.
How does broccoli rabe compare?
Here is how cooked broccoli rabe stacks up against cooked broccoli, broccoli florets and arugula, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the most protein per calorie, pick broccoli rabe: 3.8 g of protein in 25 calories per 100 g, against 2.4 g in 35 calories for cooked broccoli. If you prefer a milder taste, broccoli florets cost about 1.4 times the calories per 100 g, yet at 34 they remain an easy fit, while arugula matches rabe at 25 with less protein.
Most popular broccoli rabe brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1365 Everyday Value Broccoli Rabe1 cup · 83 g24 kcal
Packaged broccoli rabe is labeled by package weight before cooking, which is why these rows read 24 to 29 calories per 100 g next to the 25 of the cooked greens. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Broccoli rabe FAQs
How many calories are in broccoli rabe?
A cooked cup (85 g) has 21 calories and 100 g has 25 calories. A whole cooked bunch of 437 g comes to 109 calories.
Is broccoli rabe good for weight loss?
It carries 25 calories per 100 g cooked, with 2.8 g fiber and 3.83 g protein, so a large plateful still stays near 25 to 50 calories.
Broccoli rabe vs broccoli: which has fewer calories?
Cooked broccoli rabe has 25 calories per 100 g against 35 for cooked broccoli, and more protein, 3.8 g versus 2.4 g.
How much protein is in broccoli rabe?
Cooked broccoli rabe has 3.83 g protein per 100 g, so a cup of 85 g gives about 3.3 g. It also has 118 mg calcium per 100 g.
How many calories are in a whole bunch of broccoli rabe?
A whole cooked bunch of 437 g has 109 calories. It also brings 16.7 g of protein and 12.2 g of fiber, and 245 mg of sodium before any salt is added.
How many calories are in raw broccoli rabe?
A raw cup of broccoli rabe (40 g) has 9 calories. The cup weighs much less than a cooked cup of 85 g, which is why the cooked serving comes to 21 calories.
How much fiber is in broccoli rabe?
One cup of cooked broccoli rabe has 2.4 g of fiber, and 100 g has 2.8 g. Most of its carbohydrate is fiber, with only 0.5 g of sugar per cup.
Is broccoli rabe high in sodium?
No. A cooked cup has 48 mg of sodium, about 2 percent of the daily value, and 100 g has 56 mg. Salt added during cooking will usually outweigh what the vegetable contains.
How many carbs are in broccoli rabe?
A cooked cup of broccoli rabe has 2.7 g of carbohydrate, and 100 g has 3.1 g. Of those 3.1 g, 2.8 g is fiber and only 0.6 g is sugar.
