Chives vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Chives and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Chive has more pantothenic acid.
  • Spinach is a great source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of chives 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: Chives (Chives, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Chives src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and chive has 30 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, chives is heavier in fat and similar to spinach for protein and carbs. Chives has a macronutrient ratio of 36:47:17 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Chives Spinach
Protein 36% 39%
Carbohydrates 47% 49%
Fat 17% 12%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spinach and chives are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chive has 4.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both spinach and chives 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 chive has 2.5g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and chive has 1.9g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chive has 3.3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both spinach and chives are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chive has 0.15g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin C. Chive has 107% more Vitamin C than spinach - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chive has 58.1mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 115% more Vitamin A than chive - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chive has 218ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 867% more Vitamin E than chive - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chive has 0.21mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 127% more Vitamin K than chive - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chive has 212.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chive has more pantothenic acid. Both chives and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Chives Spinach
Thiamin 0.078 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.115 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.647 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.324 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.138 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 105 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both spinach and chives are high in calcium. Spinach has a little more calcium (8%) than chive by weight - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and chive has 92mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 69% more iron than chive - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chive has 1.6mg of iron.

potassium

Both spinach and chives are high in potassium. Spinach has 89% more potassium than chive - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and chive has 296mg 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, spinach has more luteolin and myricetin than chive per 100 grams, however, chive contains more isorhamnetin than spinach per 100 grams. Both chives and spinach contain significant amounts of kaempferol and quercetin.

Chives Spinach
luteolin 0.15 mg 0.74 mg
isorhamnetin 6.75 mg ~
kaempferol 10.0 mg 6.38 mg
Quercetin 4.77 mg 3.97 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,

Chives Spinach
beta-carotene 2612 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 323 UG 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Chives Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.015 G 0.138 G
Total 0.015 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Chives Spinach
linoleic acid 0.252 G 0.026 G
Total 0.252 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 Chives or Spinach .

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

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FAQ

Does spinach or chives contain more calories in 100 grams?
Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and chive has 30 calories.

Is spinach or chives better for protein?
Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chive has 3.3g of protein.

Does spinach or chives have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and chives are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and chive has 4.4g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or chives contain more calcium?
Both spinach and chives are high in calcium. Spinach has a little more calcium ( 10%) than chive by weight - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and chive has 92mg of calcium.

Does spinach or chives contain more potassium?
Both spinach and chives are high in potassium. Spinach has 90% more potassium than chive - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and chive has 296mg of potassium.