Arugula vs Dandelion Greens – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing arugula to dandelion greens, we picked the dandelion greens.

Why?

Will anything unseat dandelions from their place as the queen of the greens? Not today, that’s for sure:

In terms of macros, dandelion greens have more than 2x the fiber, which is significant, as well as more carbs and protein, making it the more nutritionally-dense choice all around macros-wise, though really, it’s the fiber that wins it for them here.

In the category of vitamins, arugula has more of vitamins B5 and B9, while dandelion greens have more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, C, E, and K, all by generous margins too. An easy win for dandelion greens in this round.

When it comes to minerals, arugula has more magnesium and zinc, while dandelions have more calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium. Another win for dandelion greens.

One more category, polyphenols. We’d be here until next week if we listed all the polyphenols that dandelion greens have, but suffice it to say, dandelion greens have a total of 385.55mg/100g polyphenols, while arugula has a total of 0.10mg/100g polyphenols. Easy arithmetic today: dandelions have more than 3855.5x the polyphenol content that garden cress does.

So, “eat leafy greens” is great advice, but they are definitely not all created equal!

Let us take this moment to exhort: if you have any space at home where you can grow dandelions, grow them! They’re great for pollinators, too 🐝💕

Want to learn more?

You might like:

How Dandelions Can Protect Your Brain

Enjoy!