Cashews vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cashews and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cashews
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cashews and spinach:
- Both spinach and cashews are high in dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Cashew has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, spinach contains more riboflavin and folate.
- Cashew is an excellent source of protein.
- Spinach has 13 times less sugar than cashew.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cashew is high in calories and spinach has 96% less calories than cashew - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and cashew has 553 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cashews is much lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Cashews has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:67 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cashews | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 13% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 21% | 49% |
| Fat | 67% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cashew is high in carbohydrates and spinach has 88% less carbohydrates than cashew - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cashew has 30.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and cashews are high in dietary fiber. Cashew has 50% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cashew has 3.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 13 times less sugar than cashew - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and cashew has 5.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cashew is an excellent source of protein and it has 537% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cashew has 18.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cashew is high in saturated fat and spinach has 99% less saturated fat than cashew - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cashew has 7.8g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 55 times more Vitamin C than cashew - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cashew has 0.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than cashew - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cashew does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach and cashews contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cashew has 0.9mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 13 times more Vitamin K than cashew - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cashew has 34.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cashew has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, spinach contains more riboflavin and folate. Both cashews and spinach contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Cashews | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.423 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 1.062 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.864 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.417 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 25 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 168% more calcium than cashew - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and cashew has 37mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and cashews are high in iron. Cashew has 146% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and cashew has 6.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and cashews are high in potassium. Cashew has 18% more potassium than spinach - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and cashew has 660mg 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,
| Cashews | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | 12198 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 5626 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cashew per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.062 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cashew has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.266 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 7.782 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 8.048 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.
Cashews g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does spinach or cashews contain more calories in 100 grams?Cashew is high in calories and spinach has 100% less calories than cashew - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and cashew has 553 calories.
Is spinach or cashews better for protein?
Cashew is a fantastic source of protein and it has 540% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cashew has 18.2g of protein.
Does spinach or cashews have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cashew is high in carbohydrates and spinach has 90% fewer carbohydrates than cashew - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and cashew has 30.2g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or cashews contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 170% more calcium than cashew - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and cashew has 37mg of calcium.
Does spinach or cashews contain more iron?
Both spinach and cashews are high in iron. Cashew has 150% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and cashew has 6.7mg of iron.
Does spinach or cashews contain more potassium?
Both spinach and cashews are high in potassium. Cashew has 20% more potassium than spinach - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and cashew has 660mg of potassium.