Clams vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Clams and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
clams
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in clams and spinach:
- Both spinach and clams are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, iron and potassium.
- Clam has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Clam is an excellent source of protein.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Clams (Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Clam is high in calories and spinach has 84% less calories than clam - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and clam has 148 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, clams is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to spinach for fat. Clams has a macronutrient ratio of 73:15:13 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Clams | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 73% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 15% | 49% |
| Fat | 13% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach and clams contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and clam has 5.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than clam - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach and clams contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Clam is an excellent source of protein and it has 793% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and clam has 25.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and clams are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and clam has 0.19g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spinach has less cholesterol than clam - clam has 67mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both spinach and clams are high in Vitamin C. Spinach has 27% more Vitamin C than clam - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and clam has 22.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and clams are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 174% more Vitamin A than clam - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and clam has 171ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has more Vitamin E than clam - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than clam - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and clam does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Clam has more riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate. Both clams and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Clams | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.15 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.426 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 3.354 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.68 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.11 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 29 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 98.89 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and clams are high in calcium. Spinach has a little more calcium (8%) than clam by weight - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and clam has 92mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and clams are high in iron. Spinach is very similar to spinach for iron - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and clam has 2.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and clams are high in potassium. Clam has 13% more potassium than spinach - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and clam has 628mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than clam per 100 grams, however, clam contains more dha, epa and dpa than spinach per 100 grams.
| Clams | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.008 G | 0.138 G |
| DHA | 0.146 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.138 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.104 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.396 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both clams and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Clams | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.032 G | 0.026 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.082 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.114 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.
Cooked Clams 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 clams contain more calories in 100 grams?Clam is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than clam - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and clam has 148 calories.
Is spinach or clams better for protein?
Clam is a fantastic source of protein and it has 790% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and clam has 25.6g of protein.
Does spinach or clams have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and clams contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and clam has 5.1g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or clams contain more calcium?
Both spinach and clams are high in calcium. Spinach has a little more calcium ( 10%) than clam by weight - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and clam has 92mg of calcium.
Does spinach or clams contain more iron?
Both spinach and clams are high in iron. Spinach is very similar to spinach for iron - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and clam has 2.8mg of iron.
Does spinach or clams contain more potassium?
Both spinach and clams are high in potassium. Clam has 10% more potassium than spinach - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and clam has 628mg of potassium.