Chicken Breast vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both spinach and chicken breast are high in potassium.
  • Chicken breast has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate.
  • Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein.
  • Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chicken breast 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: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Chicken Breast src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Chicken breast is high in calories and spinach has 86% less calories than chicken breast - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chicken Breast Spinach
Protein 79% 39%
Carbohydrates ~ 49%
Fat 21% 12%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spinach and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

dietary fiber

Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Spinach and chicken breast contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein and it has 985% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Spinach and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Spinach has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg 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 chicken breast - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 77 times more Vitamin A than chicken breast - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than spinach - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 652% more Vitamin E than chicken breast - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1608 times more Vitamin K than chicken breast - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chicken breast has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate. Both chicken breast and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.

Chicken Breast Spinach
Thiamin 0.07 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.114 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 13.712 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.965 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.6 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 4 UG 194 UG
Vitamin B12 0.34 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 560% more calcium than chicken breast - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 161% more iron than chicken breast - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.

potassium

Both spinach and chicken breast are high in potassium. Spinach has 118% more potassium than chicken breast - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than spinach per 100 grams.

Chicken Breast Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.03 G 0.138 G
DHA 0.02 G ~
EPA 0.01 G ~
DPA 0.01 G ~
Total 0.07 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Chicken Breast Spinach
linoleic acid 0.59 G 0.026 G
other omega 6 0.06 G ~
Total 0.65 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 Chicken Breast or Spinach .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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FAQ

Does spinach or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?
Chicken breast is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than chicken breast - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.

Is spinach or chicken breast better for protein?
Chicken breast is a fantastic source of protein and it has 990% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.

Does spinach or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..

Does spinach or chicken breast contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 560% more calcium than chicken breast - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.

Does spinach or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both spinach and chicken breast are high in potassium. Spinach has 120% more potassium than chicken breast - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.