Lemon vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both lemon and spinach are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
  • Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, lemon contains more pantothenic acid.
  • Spinach is a great source of iron.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon 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: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.

Lemon Spinach
Protein 10% 40%
Carbohydrates 84% 49%
Fat 6% 10%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both lemon and spinach are high in dietary fiber. Lemon has 27% more dietary fiber than spinach - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Spinach has 160% more protein than lemon - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lemon and spinach are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both lemon and spinach are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has 89% more Vitamin C than spinach - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 468 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 12 times more Vitamin E than lemon - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than lemon - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Lemon Spinach
Thiamin 0.04 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.02 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.1 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.19 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.08 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 11 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 281% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 352% more iron than lemon - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.

potassium

Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 304% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg 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, lemon has more luteolin than spinach per 100 grams, however, spinach contains more kaempferol and quercetin than lemon per 100 grams. Both lemon and spinach contain significant amounts of myricetin.

Lemon Spinach
luteolin 1.9 mg 0.74 mg
kaempferol 0.03 mg 6.38 mg
myricetin 0.5 mg 0.35 mg
Quercetin 1.14 mg 3.97 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,

Lemon Spinach
beta-carotene 3 UG 5626 UG
alpha-carotene 1 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 11 UG 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Lemon Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.026 G 0.138 G
Total 0.026 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Lemon Spinach
linoleic acid 0.063 G 0.026 G
Total 0.063 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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G Water G
G Starch G
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FAQ

Does lemon or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.

Is lemon or spinach better for protein?
Spinach has 160% more protein than lemon - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.

Does lemon or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

Does lemon or spinach contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 280% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.

Does lemon or spinach contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 300% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.