Green leafy vegetables · IFCT 2017
Garden cress leaves: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, garden cress leaves give 50 kcal, 5.6 g protein, 217 mg calcium, 6.19 mg iron and 42.8 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. Iron ranks 3rd of 26 green leafy vegetables, and zinc, at 1.52 mg, ranks 2nd. Most Indians know this plant for its tiny seeds, the halim or aliv of postnatal laddoos, but the peppery leaves are a nourishing green too.
About garden cress leaves
Garden cress is Lepidium sativum, a quick-growing herb that sprouts within days and is ready to cut within a couple of weeks. In India the seeds are the famous part: halim in the north and east, aliv in Maharashtra, they are soaked into kheer or rolled into laddoos for new mothers. The leaves and shoots are eaten mainly in the hills and the east, as chamsur ko saag in Nepali and Sikkimese homes and as halim shak in Bengal. IFCT 2017 records names in 13 languages, including halim ka patta in Hindi, alivirai keerai in Tamil and halyun in Kashmiri.
The leaves taste sharp and peppery, close to mustard greens or rocket. Cooked, they mellow quickly. Nepali and Darjeeling kitchens stir-fry them with potato and garlic, while city kitchens grow cress on damp cotton as a microgreen for sandwiches, raita and chutney. Either way, it is eaten in small handfuls rather than large bunches.
What garden cress leaves brings to a meal
- 01
Iron ranks 3rd in its group
Garden cress leaves carry 6.19 mg iron per 100 g, 32nd of 242 foods. For iron, a 100 g handful of cress meets 33 per cent of a man's need and 21 per cent of a woman's. A squeeze of lemon helps absorption.
- 02
Protein and zinc for a green
At 5.6 g protein per 100 g, cress ranks 4th among leafy vegetables. Its 1.52 mg zinc ranks 65th of 243 foods and 2nd in its group, a useful extra for vegetarians.
- 03
Vitamin K1 at 458 micrograms
100 g of leaves holds 458 micrograms of vitamin K1, one of the higher figures among greens. Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting and for building bone proteins.
- 04
Calcium and vitamin C
The leaves give 217 mg calcium and 42.8 mg vitamin C per 100 g, 22 per cent of the adult calcium requirement and 54 per cent of a man's vitamin C need. Unusually for a green, their beta-carotene is low, at 89 micrograms.
Garden cress leaves nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 50 kcal | 2% | 3% |
| Protein | 5.6 g | 10% | 12% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 4.5 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.6 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.9 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.8 g | ||
| Water | 84 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.03 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.01 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.06 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 24 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 217 mg | 22% | 22% |
| Iron | 6.19 mg | 33% | 21% |
| Zinc | 1.52 mg | 9% | 12% |
| Magnesium | 79 mg | 18% | 21% |
| Phosphorus | 46 mg | ||
| Potassium | 379 mg | ||
| Sodium | 25 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.23 mg | ||
| Selenium | 8.1 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 42.8 mg | 53% | 66% |
| Beta-carotene | 89 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.03 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.06 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.2 mg | 7% | 9% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.2 mg | 8% | 11% |
| Folate (B9) | 58 µg | 19% | 26% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.74 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 458 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Garden cress leaves: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/green-leafy-vegetables/garden-cress-leaves/
Where garden cress leaves sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 25 green leafy vegetables and every food in the tables.
How garden cress leaves is eaten
- Chamsur ko saag in Nepali and Sikkimese homes: leaves stir-fried with potato, garlic and green chilli in mustard oil.
- Halim shak in Bengal: young plants cooked lightly with nigella seeds and a pinch of salt.
- Cress microgreens grown on damp cotton, snipped over a raita, sandwich or kosambari.
- Ground into a green chutney with coriander, mint and lemon for a peppery kick.
- Added to a paratha stuffing with paneer and onion in place of some of the coriander.
Before you plan around it
Cress grown at home as microgreens sits in warm, damp conditions where bacteria can multiply, so use clean containers, change the water daily, and rinse the shoots well before eating them raw. Pregnant women and anyone with low immunity are safer eating them cooked. The leaves are high in vitamin K1, 458 micrograms per 100 g, which matters for people taking warfarin. The seeds, halim or aliv, are a separate food with different nutrients; the figures on this page are for the leaves only.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about garden cress leaves
Is garden cress the same as halim seeds?
They come from the same plant. Halim, or aliv, are the seeds of garden cress, used in laddoos, kheer and drinks. This page covers the leaves, which IFCT 2017 lists separately as a green leafy vegetable with 6.19 mg iron and 5.6 g protein per 100 g.
Are garden cress leaves high in iron?
Yes. IFCT 2017 lists 6.19 mg iron per 100 g, ranking 3rd of 26 leafy vegetables. Iron from leaves is absorbed less efficiently than iron from meat, so eat cress with lemon, tomato or other vitamin C sources, and keep tea away from the meal.
What does garden cress taste like?
The leaves are peppery and slightly bitter, much like mustard greens or watercress. Raw microgreens have a sharp bite that suits sandwiches and raita. Cooking softens the heat, which is why Nepali and Bengali recipes pair the leaves with potato.
Can garden cress be grown at home?
Easily. The seeds sprout on wet cotton, tissue or soil within a few days and can be cut as microgreens about a week later. Keep the tray clean, give it light, and rinse the shoots before eating.
Related foods and tables
Garden cress seeds (halim)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mustard leaves (sarson)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Fenugreek leaves (methi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Radish leaves
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Parsley
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Iron content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by iron per 100 g.
Calcium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by calcium per 100 g.
Zinc content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by zinc per 100 g.
All green leafy vegetables
26 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
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