Calorie Content
Red cabbage is a low calorie food, with only 22
calories in a cup of raw shredded cabbage or one-half cup of cooked shredded cabbage. Due to its high water content, it shrinks in volume quite a bit when cooked. Almost all of these calories come from the 5.2 grams of carbohydrates in this serving of cabbage, but you'll also get 1 gram of protein.
Red cabbage is basically fat free.
Energy Density
Foods low in energy density, like red cabbage, contain very few calories per gram of food. This makes them very filling, because you can eat a large amount without going over your recommended caloric intake. It is the total amount, or volume, of food that makes you feel full, not the amount of calories you eat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you eat red cabbage at the beginning of the meal, you'll be able to eat a smaller portion of more energy-dense foods like meat later in the meal because you'll likely be less hungry.
