Kale vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Kale and Spinach

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

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

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

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

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Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between kale and spinach. marks particularly rich nutrients.

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nutrition comparison of kale vs. spinach

Calories and Carbs

calories

Kale and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, kale is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 27:41:32 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Kale Spinach
Protein 27% 39%
Carbohydrates 41% 49%
Fat 32% 12%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

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

dietary fiber

Both kale and spinach are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 86% more dietary fiber than spinach - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Kale and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Kale and spinach contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both kale and spinach are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both kale and spinach are high in Vitamin C. Kale has 232% more Vitamin C than spinach - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both kale and spinach are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 95% more Vitamin A than kale - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Kale and spinach contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Both kale and spinach are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 24% more Vitamin K than kale - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Kale has more pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate. Both kale and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.

Kale Spinach
Thiamin 0.113 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.347 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 1.18 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.37 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.147 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 62 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both kale and spinach are high in calcium. Kale has 157% more calcium than spinach - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.

iron

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

potassium

Both kale and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 60% more potassium than kale - kale has 348mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg 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, kale has more isorhamnetin, kaempferol and quercetin than spinach per 100 grams, however, spinach contains more luteolin and myricetin than kale per 100 grams.

Kale Spinach
isorhamnetin 23.6 mg ~
kaempferol 46.8 mg 6.38 mg
Quercetin 22.58 mg 3.97 mg
luteolin ~ 0.74 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, both kale and spinach contain significant amounts of beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin.

Kale Spinach
beta-carotene 2873 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 6261 UG 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Kale Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.378 G 0.138 G
Total 0.378 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Kale Spinach
linoleic acid 0.291 G 0.026 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.294 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 Kale or Spinach .

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

Kale 100g

( 100 g )
Daily Values (%)

Spinach 100g

( 100 g )
35KCAL 2%
52% calories
23KCAL 1%
4.4G 2%
22% carbohydrates
3.6G 2%
4.1G 16%
86% dietary fiber
2.2G 9%
0.99G 136% sugar 0.42G
1.5G 2%
285% total fat
0.39G 1%
0.18G 1%
200% saturated fat
0.06G 0.4%
0.1G 891% monounsaturated fat 0.01G
0.67G 294% polyunsaturated fat 0.17G
53MG 4%
sodium 49%
79MG 5%
Vitamins and Minerals
241UG 34%
Vitamin A 95%
469UG 67%
93MG 125%
232% Vitamin C
28MG 38%
254MG 25%
157% calcium
99MG 10%
1.6MG 9%
iron 69%
2.7MG 15%
33MG 11%
magnesium 139%
79MG 26%
348MG 15%
potassium 60%
558MG 24%
0.11MG 10%
37% thiamin (Vit B1)
0.08MG 7%
0.35MG 32%
84% riboflavin (Vit B2)
0.19MG 17%
1.2MG 8%
67% niacin (Vit B3)
0.72MG 5%
0.15MG 11%
Vitamin B6 33%
0.2MG 15%
0.37MG 7%
428% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.07MG 1%
62UG 16%
folate (Vit B9) 213%
194UG 49%
0.66MG 4%
Vitamin E 203%
2MG 14%
390UG 433%
Vitamin K 24%
483UG 537%
2.9G 6%
protein
2.9G 6%
0.5MG 0.1%
choline >999%
19MG 5%
0.05MG 4%
copper 160%
0.13MG 11%
0.92MG 51%
2% manganese
0.9MG 50%
55MG 8%
12% phosphorus
49MG 7%
0.9UG 2%
selenium 11%
1UG 2%
0.39MG 5%
zinc 36%
0.53MG 7%
90G Water 1% 91G


NO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS (either food): Starch, Alcohol, chlorine, chromium, fluoride, iodine, molybdenum, Vitamin D, biotin (Vit B7), Vitamin B12, cholesterol, trans fat.

FAQ

Does kale or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?
Kale and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - kale has 35 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.

Is kale or spinach better for protein?
Kale and spinach contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.

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

Does kale or spinach contain more calcium?
Both kale and spinach are high in calcium. Kale has 160% more calcium than spinach - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.

Does kale or spinach contain more potassium?
Both kale and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 60% more potassium than kale - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.

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