Green leafy vegetables · IFCT 2017
Pak Choi leaves: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw pak choi gives just 16 kcal, the fewest of any green leafy vegetable in IFCT 2017, with 150 mg calcium, 3.78 mg iron, 55.6 mg vitamin C and 98 micrograms of folate. Its standout is vitamin B6: 0.96 mg per 100 g covers 40 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 51 per cent of a woman's, a high share for any vegetable.
About pak choi leaves
Pak choi, also called bok choy, is a Chinese cabbage with smooth, spoon-shaped dark leaves on thick white or pale green stalks. In India it is grown mostly in Sikkim, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, the north-eastern states and the Himachal hills, and increasingly on hydroponic farms near Bengaluru, Pune and Delhi. IFCT 2017 records a single regional name, pak choi na pan in Gujarati, a sign of how recently it has reached most Indian kitchens.
It cooks in a minute or two: the stalks stay juicy and crisp, and the leaves wilt like spinach. Sikkimese and Darjeeling homes stir-fry it with garlic and chilli or add it to thukpa and momo soup, while city cooks use it in Indo-Chinese stir-fries and noodle bowls. Baby pak choi can be halved lengthwise and cooked whole.
What pak choi leaves brings to a meal
- 01
Vitamin B6 above most vegetables
Pak choi carries 0.96 mg vitamin B6 per 100 g, 40 per cent of a man's daily requirement and 51 per cent of a woman's. Vitamin B6 helps the body use protein and make neurotransmitters.
- 02
Folate and riboflavin
100 g provides 98 micrograms of folate, 24th of 197 foods and 45 per cent of a woman's requirement, plus 0.22 mg riboflavin, which ranks 19th of 241 foods.
- 03
Vitamin C with few calories
With 55.6 mg vitamin C in just 16 kcal per 100 g, pak choi meets 70 per cent of a man's daily vitamin C need and 86 per cent of a woman's. A quick stir-fry keeps more of it than a long braise.
- 04
Well-absorbed calcium
Its 150 mg calcium per 100 g ranks 49th of 242 foods. Pak choi is low in oxalate, so studies find the share of its calcium the body absorbs is at least as high as from milk.
Pak Choi 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 | 16 kcal | 1% | 1% |
| Protein | 1.4 g | 3% | 3% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 1.8 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 1.9 g | ||
| Free sugars | 0.5 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Water | 93.6 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.14 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 78 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 150 mg | 15% | 15% |
| Iron | 3.78 mg | 20% | 13% |
| Zinc | 0.16 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 45 mg | 10% | 12% |
| Phosphorus | 26 mg | ||
| Potassium | 250 mg | ||
| Sodium | 34 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.06 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.8 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 55.6 mg | 70% | 86% |
| Beta-carotene | 2,450 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.02 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.22 mg | 9% | 9% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.66 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.96 mg | 40% | 51% |
| Folate (B9) | 98 µg | 33% | 45% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.03 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 39.9 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. Pak Choi leaves: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/green-leafy-vegetables/pak-choi-leaves/
Where pak choi leaves sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 25 green leafy vegetables and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In green leafy vegetables | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 55.6 mg | 13th of 26 | 26th of 130 |
| Folate (B9) | 98 µg | 6th of 26 | 24th of 197 |
| Beta-carotene | 2,450 µg | 15th of 26 | 21st of 160 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.22 mg | 5th of 26 | 18th of 241 |
How pak choi leaves is eaten
- Stir-fried in Sikkimese style with garlic, dried red chilli and a pinch of salt, eaten with rice and dal.
- Added to thukpa or momo soup for the last two minutes, so the stalks stay crisp.
- Halved baby pak choi in an Indo-Chinese stir-fry with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and spring onion.
- Chopped into a paneer or tofu bhurji in place of capsicum or spinach.
- Shredded raw stalks tossed into a crunchy salad with carrot, cucumber and a lemon dressing.
Before you plan around it
Grit collects at the base where the stalks join, so trim the root end and wash each stalk separately under running water. Pak choi overcooks quickly and turns watery and grey, so add it near the end of cooking. Its vitamin K1 is moderate for a leafy green, 39.9 micrograms per 100 g, but its sodium, 34 mg per 100 g, is a little higher than in most greens; with soy sauce in a stir-fry, go easy on extra salt.
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 pak choi leaves
Is pak choi the same as bok choy?
Yes. Pak choi and bok choy are two spellings of the same Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa var. chinensis. It is a different vegetable from the long, pale, tightly packed Chinese cabbage, which IFCT 2017 lists separately.
Is pak choi healthy?
Pak choi is light and nutrient-dense. Per 100 g, IFCT 2017 lists 16 kcal, 150 mg calcium, 3.78 mg iron, 55.6 mg vitamin C, 98 micrograms folate and 0.96 mg vitamin B6. It is easy to add to soups, stir-fries and dals.
Where is pak choi grown in India?
Mostly in Sikkim, the Darjeeling hills and the north-eastern states, where it is a common home vegetable, and in Himachal Pradesh. Hydroponic and polyhouse farms near large cities now supply supermarkets through much of the year.
Related foods and tables
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Mustard leaves (sarson)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Spring onion
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Lettuce
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All green leafy vegetables
26 foods in this group, compared.
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