Banana vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Banana and Spinach


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of banana versus spinach (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in banana and spinach:

  • Both spinach and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Spinach has 28.1 times less sugar than banana.
  • Spinach has 5.2 times less carbohydrates than banana.
  • Spinach has 74% less calories than banana.
  • Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
  • Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, banana contains more pantothenic acid.
  • Spinach is a great source of iron.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of banana and spinach is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Banana src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Spinach has 74% less calories than banana - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, banana is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Banana Spinach
Protein 5% 40%
Carbohydrates 93% 49%
Fat 3% 10%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Spinach has 5.2 times less carbohydrates than banana - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both spinach and banana are high in dietary fiber. Spinach is very similar to spinach for dietary fiber - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Spinach has 28.1 times less sugar than banana - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Spinach has 162% more protein than banana - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both spinach and banana are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 223% more Vitamin C than banana - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 155 times more Vitamin A than banana - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 19 times more Vitamin E than banana - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 964 times more Vitamin K than banana - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, banana contains more pantothenic acid. Both banana and spinach contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.

Banana Spinach
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.665 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.334 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.367 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 20 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than banana - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 942% more iron than banana - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.

potassium

Both spinach and banana are high in potassium. Spinach has 56% more potassium than banana - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

flavonoids

Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]

For specific flavonoid compounds,

Banana Spinach
kaempferol 0.11 mg 6.38 mg
myricetin 0.01 mg 0.35 mg
Quercetin 0.06 mg 3.97 mg
luteolin ~ 0.74 mg

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams.

Banana Spinach
beta-carotene 26 UG 5626 UG
alpha-carotene 25 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 22 UG 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than banana per 100 grams.

Banana Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.027 G 0.138 G
Total 0.027 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both banana and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Banana Spinach
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.026 G
Total 0.046 G 0.026 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does spinach or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?
Spinach has 70% less calories than banana - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.

Is spinach or banana better for protein?
Spinach has 160% more protein than banana - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.

Does spinach or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 5.2 times fewer carbohydrates than banana - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or banana contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than banana - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.

Does spinach or banana contain more potassium?
Both spinach and banana are high in potassium. Spinach has 60% more potassium than banana - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.