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Three raw broccoli florets

Broccoli, cooked

Checked by us One serving: 85 g · 24 kcal

Lots of vitamin K1 and vitamin C.

Nothing to watch for most people.

On warfarin? Keep your vitamin K steady. Worth knowing for some people: uncooked frozen vegetables.

Good for

How we counted this

What one serving (85 g) gives you.

Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.

The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share.

A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.

20 more nutrients below “a lot”

Watch out

How we counted this
Checked for cadmium and lead: fine at normal amounts.
  • Cadmium

    Nothing to watchHealth Canada TDS, 16 composites

    You’d need about 8.2 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.

    Learn more

    One serving carries 0.9 µg

    How we got this

    A serving a day adds 5% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 74% of the limit.

    An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.

    Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 17,000 g a week would reach the limit.

    Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 595 g a week, which stays within the 4,900 g of room left before the limit.

    The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit

    A daily serving adds 5% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.

    Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade B

    Every food with cadmium

  • 1 other measurement of this food, same verdict
    • Cadmium

      Nothing to watchUS FDA TDS 2018-20, 27 samples

      You’d need about 5.4 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.

      Learn more

      One serving carries 1.36 µg

      How we got this

      A serving a day adds 7.7% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 76% of the limit.

      An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.

      Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 11,000 g a week would reach the limit.

      Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 595 g a week, which stays within the 3,200 g of room left before the limit.

      The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit

      A daily serving adds 7.7% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.

      US FDA, Total Diet Study FY2018–FY2020 Elements Report Supplement · grade A

      Every food with cadmium

  • Lead

    Nothing to watchHealth Canada TDS, mean without one high composite

    You’d need about 100 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.

    Learn more

    A serving a day adds 1% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.

    One serving carries 0.35 µg

    How we got this

    The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake

    adds 1.0%

    Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade B

    Every food with lead

  • 1 other measurement of this food, same verdict
    • Lead

      Nothing to watchUS FDA TDS 2018-20, none detected in 27 samples

      Rated without the share a serving adds to an average adult’s intake: the dataset stores no figure to print for this measurement.

      Learn more
      How we got this

      The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure

      No cap: no safe limit is set for lead. It was not detected in 27 samples at a reporting limit of 4 ppb, so an 85 g serving contributes below 0.34 µg.

      US FDA, Total Diet Study FY2018–FY2020 Elements Report Supplement · grade A

      Every food with lead

For some people

  • Don't eat frozen broccoli uncooked if pregnant, 60+, under 5 or immunocompromised

  • With warfarin: keep vitamin K intake consistent

    Learn more

    Eat a steady amount, not none. This line goes on every food whose serving gives 10% or more of the daily vitamin K; a few foods below that carry it too, where a source names them. One serving here has about 75 µg of vitamin K1.

Worth knowing

No limit applies, so none is rated.

  • Sugar

    1.2 g of sugar in a 85 g serving, natural and added together.

    Learn more

    Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.

Also checked (nothing to act on) · 1

Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.

Better options

How we counted this

“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.

Every amount below is for the same weight, 85 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.

Compared with the other vegetables we’ve checked.

A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.

More of what it’s good for

More vitamin K1

More vitamin C

Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.

More nutrients per serving, counted together

The other vegetables we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.

  • Turnip greens, cooked
    • More vitamin K1 (312 µg vs 74.9 µg)
    • More vitamin A (324 µg vs 43.4 µg)
    • More folate (100 µg vs 47.6 µg)
    • Less vitamin C (23.3 mg vs 34.1 mg)
  • Kale, cooked
    • More vitamin K1 (355 µg vs 74.9 µg)
    • More omega-3: ALA (286 mg vs 35.7 mg)
    • Less vitamin C (15.1 mg vs 34.1 mg)
  • Brussels sprouts, cooked
    • More vitamin K1 (119 µg vs 74.9 µg)
    • More vitamin C (52.7 mg vs 34.1 mg)

Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.

Your goal

Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.

Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.

  • Asparagus, cooked
    • 19 kcal in 85 g (this food: 24)
    • More folate (127 µg vs 47.6 µg)
    • Less vitamin C (6.55 mg vs 34.1 mg)
    • Less vitamin K1 (43 µg vs 74.9 µg)
  • Turnip greens, cooked
    • 17 kcal in 85 g (this food: 24)
    • More vitamin K1 (312 µg vs 74.9 µg)
    • More vitamin A (324 µg vs 43.4 µg)
    • More folate (100 µg vs 47.6 µg)
    • Less vitamin C (23.3 mg vs 34.1 mg)

2 foods out of the 22 other vegetables we’ve checked and could compare give clearly more nutrients, protein and fibre per calorie.

Why some foods aren’t suggested

Left out: Mustard greens, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).

Left out: Spinach, cooked (Cadmium: go easy · lots of oxalate, more than its own calcium can bind).

Left out: Edamame, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).

Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.

The numbers

Open every value

Name in the database: Broccoli, boiled, drained

How the serving was set: 85 g (Health Canada V.1)

Listed nutrients, per 100 g

For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.

NutrientPer servingPer 100 caloriesHowSourceGrade
Omega-3: ALA0.042 g0.04 g0.15 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Calcium33 mg28.05 mg117.86 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
33 mg28.05 mg117.86 mgcopy of USDA · not usedCanadian Nutrient File 2026 #2377C
Carbohydrate5.35 g4.55 g19.11 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Choline16.2 mg13.77 mg57.86 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Energy28 kcal23.8 kcal–FDC Energy (kcal) usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy)–
Omega-3: EPA + DHA0 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Fat0.12 g0.1 g0.43 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg0 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Fatty acids, total saturated0.018 g0.02 g0.06 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Fibre3 g2.55 g10.71 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Folate56 µg47.6 µg200 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Iron0.61 mg0.52 mg2.18 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Magnesium13 mg11.05 mg46.43 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)0.991 mg0.84 mg3.54 mglisted usedCanadian Nutrient File 2026 #2377C
Phosphorus49 mg41.65 mg175 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Potassium142 mg120.7 mg507.14 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Protein3.1 g2.64 g11.07 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Riboflavin (B2)0.081 mg0.07 mg0.29 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Selenium0.7 µg0.6 µg2.5 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Sodium11 mg9.35 mg39.29 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Sugars1.47 g1.25 g5.25 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Thiamin (B1)0.055 mg0.05 mg0.2 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin A51 µg43.35 µg182.14 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin B120 µg0 µg0 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin B60.13 mg0.11 mg0.46 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin C40.1 mg34.09 mg143.21 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin D0 µg0 µg0 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin E1.32 mg1.12 mg4.71 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin K188.1 µg74.88 µg314.64 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Water90.72 g77.11 g324 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Zinc0.28 mg0.24 mg1 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
NutrientPer 100 gPer servingPer 100 caloriesHowSourceGrade
Beta-carotene597 µg507.45 µg2,132.14 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Copper0.034 mg0.03 mg0.12 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Ash0.71 g0.6 g2.54 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Alcohol, ethyl0 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Caffeine0 mg0 mg0 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Theobromine0 mg0 mg0 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Energy117 kj99.45 kj417.86 kjlisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin A, IU1,011 iu859.35 iu3,610.71 iulisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Carotene, alpha19 µg16.15 µg67.86 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units0 iu0 iu0 iulisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Cryptoxanthin, beta1 µg0.85 µg3.57 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Lycopene0 µg0 µg0 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Folic acid0 µg0 µg0 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Folate, food56 µg47.6 µg200 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Folate, DFE56 µg47.6 µg200 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Tryptophan0.032 g0.03 g0.11 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Threonine0.101 g0.09 g0.36 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Isoleucine0.121 g0.1 g0.43 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Leucine0.145 g0.12 g0.52 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Lysine0.156 g0.13 g0.56 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Methionine0.037 g0.03 g0.13 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Cystine0.022 g0.02 g0.08 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Phenylalanine0.094 g0.08 g0.34 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Tyrosine0.07 g0.06 g0.25 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Valine0.142 g0.12 g0.51 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Arginine0.161 g0.14 g0.58 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Histidine0.055 g0.05 g0.2 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Alanine0.13 g0.11 g0.46 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Aspartic acid0.236 g0.2 g0.84 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Glutamic acid0.417 g0.35 g1.49 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Glycine0.105 g0.09 g0.38 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Proline0.127 g0.11 g0.45 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Serine0.111 g0.09 g0.4 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin E, added0 mg0 mg0 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Vitamin B-12, added0 µg0 µg0 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Fatty acids, total trans0 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 4:00 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 6:00 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 8:00 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 10:00 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 12:00 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 14:00 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 16:00.016 g0.01 g0.06 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
SFA 18:00.002 g0 g0.01 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
MUFA 18:10.008 g0.01 g0.03 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 18:20.013 g0.01 g0.05 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 18:30.042 g0.04 g0.15 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 20:40 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA)0 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
MUFA 16:10 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 18:40 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
MUFA 20:10 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA)0 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
MUFA 22:10 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA)0 g0 g0 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated0.008 g0.01 g0.03 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated0.055 g0.05 g0.2 glisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Lutein + zeaxanthin1,095 µg930.75 µg3,910.71 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Manganese0.223 mg0.19 mg0.8 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Niacin (B3, preformed)0.458 mg0.39 mg1.64 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.274 mg0.23 mg0.98 mglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C
Retinol0 µg0 µg0 µglisted usedUS food database (USDA SR Legacy) #169969C

Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.

Absorption studies

Studies of how much of a nutrient gets in; those done in animals are marked. This page quotes a figure only from a study that passes our screen: adults, graded A, of this food in this preparation, with a test dose on record and a source that has passed our evidence check. The exception is calcium on our calcium card: its figure comes from the card’s own study, checked with the card, and is marked “used” even where that study misses a step of this screen. The others are listed so nothing is hidden, each with the first check it fails.

No study of this food passes the screen yet, so no absorption figure is quoted.

StudyNutrientAbsorbedTest dosePeopleGradeOn this page
Heaney et al. 1993: calcium absorption from broccoli (intrinsically labelled), 3-way randomised design

broccoli, intrinsically labelled; bok choy and kale in the same study · not stated (raw, boiled or frozen not given)

abstract only

Calcium47.8 %83 mg15BNot used: we haven’t confirmed how the food was prepared in this study.

Hazard rows as the dataset rates them

  • Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 7.7% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · A
  • Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 5% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · B
  • Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · adds 1.0% · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · B
  • Lead · Nothing to watch: rated by margin of exposure · No cap: no safe limit is set for lead. It was not detected in 27 samples at a reporting limit of 4 ppb, so an 85 g serving contributes below 0.34 µg. · US FDA Total Diet Study (2018–2020) · A
  • Nitrate · Context · Context only: 9% · EFSA 2008 · A
  • Uncooked frozen vegetables · Worth knowing · Don't eat frozen broccoli uncooked if pregnant, 60+, under 5 or immunocompromised · Health Canada, Food safety for vulnerable populations: foods to avoid · A
  • Vitamin K and warfarin · Worth knowing · With warfarin: keep vitamin K intake consistent · Warfarin product label · A

Sources

Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.

The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.

The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.

Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.