In this article
- Does cabbage have fiber in every serving size?
- Is cabbage high in fiber?
- Green, red, savoy, napa: how much fiber in cabbage by type
- Sauerkraut: more fiber per cup, and a lot more salt
- Which vegetables have the most fiber compared with cabbage?
- What cabbage’s fiber does
- What a cup of raw cabbage gives you beyond fiber
- Easy ways to eat more cabbage
- What researchers are still learning about cabbage
- Common questions about cabbage and fiber
- Sources
A medium head of green cabbage holds about 23 grams of fiber. That’s more than 80% of the 28 gram Daily Value, all wrapped up in one tight ball of leaves.
So does cabbage have fiber? Clearly, yes. Per serving, a cup of chopped raw green cabbage has about 2.2 grams for only 22 calories, according to USDA FoodData Central.
The type of cabbage changes the numbers more than you might expect. Here’s how green, red, savoy, napa and sauerkraut compare, how cooking shifts things, and where cabbage lands among other vegetables.
Does cabbage have fiber in every serving size?
USDA lists raw green cabbage at 2.5 grams of fiber per 100 grams. Here’s what that means for the ways you’d actually cut it:
| Raw green cabbage | Weight | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium leaf | 23 g | 0.6 g | 6 |
| 1 large leaf | 33 g | 0.8 g | 8 |
| 1 cup shredded | 70 g | 1.8 g | 18 |
| 1 cup chopped | 89 g | 2.2 g | 22 |
| 1/12 medium head (FDA label) | 84 g | 2 g | 25 |
| 1 small head | 714 g | 17.9 g | 179 |
| 1 medium head | 908 g | 22.7 g | 227 |
Even a small head carries about 18 grams of fiber, so a single cabbage can supply several meals across the week.
Shredded cabbage packs more loosely than chopped, so the same cup holds less. That’s worth knowing if you’re measuring coleslaw mix straight from the bag.
The FDA’s raw vegetable label, which rounds its numbers, puts a twelfth of a medium head at 2 grams of fiber and 25 calories. It also lists that serving at 70% of the Daily Value for vitamin C.
Is cabbage high in fiber?
Per cup, raw cabbage is a moderate source. A cup of chopped green cabbage covers about 8% of the Daily Value, more than lettuce or cucumber but less than cooked broccoli.
Per calorie, it’s excellent. You get 10 grams of fiber for every 100 calories of raw green cabbage, a strong ratio for any food.
The catch is volume. To reach 5 grams from raw green cabbage alone, you’d need about 2 1/4 cups chopped, which is easier in a big slaw or stir fry than in a side salad.
Green, red, savoy, napa: how much fiber in cabbage by type
Not every cabbage is equal. Using USDA data per 100 grams and the Dietary Guidelines list for cooked servings:
| Cabbage type | Fiber per 100 g | Typical serving |
|---|---|---|
| Green, raw | 2.5 g | 1 cup chopped: 2.2 g, 22 calories |
| Red, raw | 2.1 g | 1 cup chopped: 1.9 g, 28 calories |
| Napa, raw | 1.2 g | 1 cup shredded: 0.9 g, 12 calories |
| Green, boiled | 1.9 g | 1 cup: 2.8 g, 34 calories |
| Red, boiled | 2.6 g | 1 cup: 4.1 g, 41 calories |
| Savoy, cooked | not shown | 1 cup: 4.1 g, 35 calories |
| Sauerkraut, canned | 2.9 g | 1 cup: 4.1 g, 27 calories |
Napa cabbage, the long pale variety, has about half the fiber of green cabbage per 100 grams. It’s tender and mild, but it won’t carry your fiber total on its own.
Cooked red and savoy cabbage come out on top at about 4.1 grams per cup. Cooked leaves pack down tightly, so a cup holds far more cabbage than a cup of raw shreds.
Savoy cabbage, the one with crinkled, deeply veined leaves, ties red cabbage for fiber once cooked. It also has the fewest calories of the cooked trio, at 35 per cup.
Oddly, USDA’s samples show green cabbage a little lower per 100 grams after boiling, and red cabbage a little higher. These are separate samples rather than the same leaves tested twice, so the takeaway is simple: raw or cooked, all three common types land in the 2 to 2.6 gram range.
Sauerkraut: more fiber per cup, and a lot more salt
Canned sauerkraut has 2.9 grams of fiber per 100 grams, more than fresh green cabbage. A cup, about 142 grams, gives you about 4.1 grams for just 27 calories.
The trade off is sodium. That same cup carries about 939 milligrams, around 41% of the 2,300 milligram Daily Value, so a forkful on a sandwich makes more sense than a cupful as a side.
Cleveland Clinic notes that fermented cabbage like sauerkraut and kimchi can add to the gut benefits of cabbage’s fiber, since fiber feeds the helpful bacteria in your gut.
Which vegetables have the most fiber compared with cabbage?
Here’s how a cup of cooked cabbage stacks up against other cooked vegetables in the Dietary Guidelines list:
| Cooked vegetable (1 cup) | Fiber | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Artichoke | 9.6 g | 89 |
| Green peas | 8.8 g | 134 |
| Brussels sprouts | 6.4 g | 65 |
| Broccoli | 5.2 g | 54 |
| Collard greens | 4.8 g | 63 |
| Spinach | 4.3 g | 41 |
| Savoy cabbage | 4.1 g | 35 |
| Red cabbage | 4.1 g | 41 |
| Green cabbage | 2.8 g | 34 |
Savoy and red cabbage sit right next to spinach, with a little less fiber and similar or fewer calories. Green cabbage trails the pack when boiled, which makes raw slaw or a quick stir fry the better way to eat it.
Brussels sprouts are close cousins, and Cleveland Clinic lists them as part of the same Brassica oleracea family. They carry about 50% more fiber per cooked cup than savoy cabbage.
Curious how a few cups of cabbage would fit your own needs? Our fiber calculator gives you a personal daily target in seconds.
What cabbage’s fiber does
Cleveland Clinic dietitian Julia Zumpano explains that cabbage contains insoluble fiber, the kind that adds bulk and supports regular bowel movements. Cabbage also contains phytosterols, plant compounds that work alongside fiber.
Together, fiber and phytosterols compete with cholesterol for absorption in your digestive system. Cleveland Clinic notes that this can help lower LDL, or “bad”, cholesterol.
Cabbage’s fiber also feeds the helpful bacteria in your gut. One practical note from Zumpano: eating too much cabbage at once can cause gas or stomach discomfort, so increase it slowly and drink enough water.
If cabbage tends to leave you bloated, our gut health guides walk you through building up fiber at a pace your digestion can handle.
What a cup of raw cabbage gives you beyond fiber
A cup of chopped raw green cabbage, about 89 grams, provides the following, according to USDA, with % Daily Value from the FDA:
- Vitamin C: about 33 milligrams, around 36% of the Daily Value.
- Vitamin K: about 68 micrograms, around 56%.
- Folate: about 38 micrograms, around 10%.
- Potassium: about 151 milligrams.
Red cabbage brings even more vitamin C, about 51 milligrams per chopped cup, or 56% of the Daily Value. Its deep color comes from anthocyanins, antioxidants that Cleveland Clinic says may help reduce inflammation, with 36 different kinds found in cabbage.
Cleveland Clinic adds that a cup of red cabbage can deliver up to 6% of your daily potassium, a mineral that helps control blood pressure. That makes a red slaw a colorful way to cover several bases at once.
Easy ways to eat more cabbage
Cabbage is sturdy and very versatile, which makes it easy to work into the week. Cleveland Clinic suggests eating it raw or stir fried for the most benefit. A few ideas:
- Toss shredded green and red cabbage into a big slaw with a vinegar dressing.
- Stir fry savoy or napa cabbage with garlic and ginger in a few minutes.
- Use large green leaves as wraps for ground turkey or bean fillings.
- Add a cup of chopped cabbage to soups and stews in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Top tacos and grain bowls with a handful of quick pickled red cabbage.
- Keep sauerkraut as a condiment, a forkful at a time.
One medium head goes a long way. Shred it all into a slaw for eight people and each serving still carries close to 3 grams of fiber, before you add any carrots, seeds or beans.
Two large green leaves used as wraps add about 1.6 grams of fiber to lunch for only 16 calories. Cleveland Clinic recommends keeping the head whole and unwashed in the fridge until you’re ready to use it, so peel off leaves as you go.
Want more ways to turn a head of cabbage into easy, high-fiber meals? Our recipe eBooks have plenty of slaws, stir fries and soups to try.
What researchers are still learning about cabbage
Some of the most talked about cabbage benefits are still early science. Cleveland Clinic notes that cabbage contains glucosinolates, sulfur compounds that break down during digestion into substances that may help fight cancer cells in early animal studies.
Similar caution applies to inflammation, where the strongest evidence also comes from animal studies plus a small human study on cruciferous vegetables. Cleveland Clinic is clear that more research is needed to know how cabbage itself affects the body.
What’s already settled is the fiber. A cup of cooked savoy or red cabbage gives you about 4 grams for around 40 calories, and that benefit doesn’t depend on future studies.
Common questions about cabbage and fiber
Is cabbage high in fiber?
Cabbage is a moderate source per cup and an excellent one per calorie. A cup of chopped raw green cabbage has about 2.2 grams of fiber for 22 calories, and a cup of cooked red or savoy cabbage has about 4.1 grams.
How much fiber is in a head of cabbage?
A medium head of green cabbage, about 908 grams, has roughly 23 grams of fiber. A small head has about 18 grams.
Does red cabbage have more fiber than green cabbage?
Raw, no. Raw red cabbage has 2.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams compared with 2.5 for green. Cooked, the Dietary Guidelines list red cabbage at 4.1 grams per cup versus 2.8 for green.
Does sauerkraut have fiber?
Yes. A cup of canned sauerkraut has about 4.1 grams of fiber and 27 calories. It also has about 939 milligrams of sodium, so smaller portions work best.
Is napa cabbage a good source of fiber?
Not really. Napa cabbage has about 1.2 grams of fiber per 100 grams, about half as much as green cabbage, so a shredded cup has under 1 gram.
Does cooking cabbage reduce its fiber?
Not meaningfully. USDA lists boiled green cabbage at 1.9 grams per 100 grams versus 2.5 raw, but boiled red cabbage at 2.6 versus 2.1 raw. Cooked cabbage also packs more into each cup.
Can cabbage cause gas?
Yes, if you eat a lot at once. Cleveland Clinic suggests increasing cabbage slowly and drinking enough water to help your digestion adjust.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. “Cabbage, raw (169975); Cabbage, cooked, boiled, drained (169976); Cabbage, red, raw (169977); Cabbage, red, cooked, boiled, drained (169978); Cabbage, napa, raw (169979); Sauerkraut, canned, solids and liquids (169279).” FoodData Central, SR Legacy. 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Nutrition Information for Raw Vegetables.” 2017. www.fda.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Food Sources of Dietary Fiber.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 to 2025. dietaryguidelines.gov
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.” 2026. www.fda.gov
- Cleveland Clinic. “8 Health Benefits of Cabbage.” 2022. health.clevelandclinic.org
