Beets vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Beets and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both spinach and beets are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Spinach has 15.1 times less sugar than beet.
  • Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, beet 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 beets 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beets src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.

Beets Spinach
Protein 14% 40%
Carbohydrates 83% 49%
Fat 3% 10%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both spinach and beets are high in dietary fiber. Beet has 27% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Spinach has 15.1 times less sugar than beet - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both spinach and beets are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 473% more Vitamin C than beet - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 233 times more Vitamin A than beet - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beet has 2ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 49 times more Vitamin E than beet - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 2413 times more Vitamin K than beet - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Beets Spinach
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.04 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.334 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.155 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.067 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 109 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 519% more calcium than beet - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 239% more iron than beet - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.

potassium

Both spinach and beets are high in potassium. Spinach has 72% more potassium than beet - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg 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, both beets and spinach contain significant amounts of luteolin.

Beets Spinach
luteolin 0.37 mg 0.74 mg
Quercetin 0.13 mg 3.97 mg
kaempferol ~ 6.38 mg
myricetin ~ 0.35 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,

Beets Spinach
beta-carotene 20 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Beets Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.005 G 0.138 G
Total 0.005 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beet has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.

Beets Spinach
linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.026 G
Total 0.055 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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FAQ

Does spinach or beets contain more calories in 100 grams?
Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.

Is spinach or beets better for protein?
Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.

Does spinach or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or beets contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 520% more calcium than beet - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.

Does spinach or beets contain more potassium?
Both spinach and beets are high in potassium. Spinach has 70% more potassium than beet - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.