Bittersweet Chocolate vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Bittersweet Chocolate and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
bittersweet chocolate
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bittersweet chocolate and spinach:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in calcium, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein.
- Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Bittersweet chocolate is high in calories and spinach has 96% less calories than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, bittersweet chocolate is much lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Bittersweet chocolate has a macronutrient ratio of 9:18:73 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 18% | 49% |
| Fat | 73% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in dietary fiber. Bittersweet chocolate has 655% more dietary fiber than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Bittersweet chocolate and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein and it has 401% more protein than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Bittersweet chocolate is high in saturated fat and spinach has 100% less saturated fat than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than bittersweet chocolate - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 408% more Vitamin E than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 48 times more Vitamin K than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bittersweet chocolate has more pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more Vitamin B6 and folate. Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.147 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.1 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 1.355 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.168 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.027 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 28 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in calcium. Bittersweet chocolate is very similar to spinach for calcium - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
iron
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 542% more iron than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 49% more potassium than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 38 UG | 12198 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 5626 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both bittersweet chocolate and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.117 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.117 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bittersweet chocolate has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.553 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.435 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 1.988 G | 0.026 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Bittersweet Chocolate or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Bittersweet Chocolate g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does bittersweet chocolate or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?Bittersweet chocolate is high in calories and spinach has 100% less calories than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.
Is bittersweet chocolate or spinach better for protein?
Bittersweet chocolate is a fantastic source of protein and it has 400% more protein than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Does bittersweet chocolate or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does bittersweet chocolate or spinach contain more calcium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in calcium. Bittersweet chocolate is very similar to spinach for calcium - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or spinach contain more iron?
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 540% more iron than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or spinach contain more potassium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and spinach are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 50% more potassium than spinach - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.