Flag an Ingredient
  • Nutrition Hub

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut is cabbage fermented in salt, though only the raw refrigerated kind still carries live cultures. Four grams of fiber and a lot of tang for 27 calories.
  • Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 cup (142g)

  • Calories: 27
  • Calories: 27
  • Fiber: 4.1g
  • Sugar: 2.5g
  • Protein: 1.3g
  • Fat: 0.2g
  • Key Nutrients
Live Cultures, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
  • Key Vitamins
Vitamin C (23% DV), Vitamin K (15% DV), Folate (9% DV), Vitamin B6 (9% DV)
  • Essential Minerals
Copper (15% DV), Iron (12% DV), Manganese (9% DV), Potassium (5% DV). High in sodium at 939mg per cup (41% DV).
  • Glycemic Impact
What’s This?
  • Glycemic Index (GI)
  • GI Score
  • Glycemic Load (GL)
  • GI per 100g:
  • Impact
  • Glycemic Scale Rating
Low (0-55)
Medium (56-69)
High (70+)
0 20 40 60 80 100
Raw sauerkraut, finely shredded pale cabbage glistening with brine, in a plain white ceramic bowl with a small scatter of strands beside it
Raw sauerkraut, finely shredded pale cabbage glistening with brine, in a plain white ceramic bowl with a small scatter of strands beside it
  • Health Benefits:

    • Only raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut carries live cultures. Heat kills them, so the shelf-stable jars and cans in the center aisle are pickled cabbage rather than a living ferment. Look in the refrigerated section for the words raw, unpasteurized, or live cultures.

    • 4.1g of fiber per cup for 27 calories, the kind of fiber your gut bacteria can actually use.

    • The ferment is run by lactic acid bacteria, largely Lactobacillus species, which are among the microbes research associates with a more varied gut community.

    • Vitamin C at 23% DV per cup. Cabbage holds on to its vitamin C through fermentation, which is why barrels of it once sailed with crews who had no other source of it.

    • One honest caveat: 939mg of sodium per cup, roughly 41% of the daily limit. Salt is what makes the ferment work, so sauerkraut earns its place as a condiment rather than a side dish.
Back

Start Making Healthier Choices Today

Join a growing community of people who are choosing clarity over confusion, and progress over perfection.

Contact Us

What’s This?

Glycemic Index (GI)

GI measures how fast a food raises blood sugar.

Glycemic Load (GL)

Tells you how big that rise actually is once portion size is factored in.

Example:

Watermelon has a high GI (it digests quickly) but a low GL because a normal serving doesn’t
contain many carbs so the actual blood-sugar impact is small.

Why it matters:

Understanding both GI and GL gives you a clearer picture of how foods affect your blood sugar both the speed of the rise and the true impact based on the portion you eat.