Parmesan Cheese vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Parmesan Cheese and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both spinach and parmesan cheese are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
  • Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of protein.
  • Spinach has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, parmesan cheese contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
  • Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of parmesan cheese 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: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Parmesan Cheese src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Parmesan cheese is high in calories and spinach has 94% less calories than parmesan cheese - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 392 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, parmesan cheese is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to spinach for protein. Parmesan cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 38:3:59 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Parmesan Cheese Spinach
Protein 38% 39%
Carbohydrates 3% 49%
Fat 59% 12%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spinach and parmesan cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 3.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

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

sugar

Spinach and parmesan cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 11 times more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Parmesan cheese is high in saturated fat and spinach has 100% less saturated fat than parmesan cheese - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Spinach has less cholesterol than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 68mg 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 parmesan cheese - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and parmesan cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Both spinach and parmesan cheese are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 127% more Vitamin A than parmesan cheese - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Parmesan cheese has more Vitamin D than spinach - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 823% more Vitamin E than parmesan cheese - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 283 times more Vitamin K than parmesan cheese - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Spinach has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, parmesan cheese contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. Both parmesan cheese and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.

Parmesan Cheese Spinach
Thiamin 0.039 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.332 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.271 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.453 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.091 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 7 UG 194 UG
Vitamin B12 1.2 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both spinach and parmesan cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 10 times more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 230% more iron than parmesan cheese - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron.

potassium

Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 507% more potassium than parmesan cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

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,

Parmesan Cheese Spinach
beta-carotene 66 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Parmesan Cheese Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.297 G 0.138 G
Total 0.297 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Parmesan Cheese Spinach
linoleic acid 0.272 G 0.026 G
Total 0.272 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 Parmesan Cheese or Spinach .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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FAQ

Does spinach or parmesan cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Parmesan cheese is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than parmesan cheese - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and parmesan cheese has 392 calories.

Is spinach or parmesan cheese better for protein?
Parmesan cheese is a fantastic source of protein and it has 11 times more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein.

Does spinach or parmesan cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and parmesan cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and parmesan cheese has 3.2g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or parmesan cheese contain more calcium?
Both spinach and parmesan cheese are high in calcium. Parmesan cheese has 10 times more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium.

Does spinach or parmesan cheese contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 510% more potassium than parmesan cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium.