Broccoli vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Broccoli and Spinach

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

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

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

  • Both spinach and broccoli are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Broccoli has more pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate.
  • Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than broccoli, however, broccoli contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
  • Spinach is a great source of iron.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of broccoli 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: Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

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Image of Spinach src
Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between broccoli and spinach. marks particularly rich nutrients.

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nutrition comparison of broccoli vs. spinach

Calories and Carbs

calories

Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and broccoli has 34 calories.

Broccoli Spinach
Protein 28% 40%
Carbohydrates 65% 49%
Fat 7% 10%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both spinach and broccoli 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 broccoli has 2.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and broccoli has 1.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both spinach and broccoli are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.11g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both spinach and broccoli are high in Vitamin C. Broccoli has 217% more Vitamin C than spinach - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and broccoli has 89.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 14 times more Vitamin A than broccoli - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and broccoli has 31ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.78mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Both spinach and broccoli are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 375% more Vitamin K than broccoli - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and broccoli has 101.6ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Broccoli Spinach
Thiamin 0.071 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.117 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.639 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.573 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.175 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 63 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Both spinach and broccoli are high in calcium. Spinach has 111% more calcium than broccoli - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 271% more iron than broccoli - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.

potassium

Both spinach and broccoli are high in potassium. Spinach has 77% more potassium than broccoli - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg 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, both broccoli and spinach contain significant amounts of luteolin, kaempferol and quercetin.

Broccoli Spinach
luteolin 0.8 mg 0.74 mg
kaempferol 7.84 mg 6.38 mg
myricetin 0.06 mg 0.35 mg
Quercetin 3.26 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, spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than broccoli per 100 grams, however, broccoli contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams.

Broccoli Spinach
beta-carotene 361 UG 5626 UG
alpha-carotene 25 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin 1403 UG 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Broccoli Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.0215 G 0.138 G
Total 0.0215 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both broccoli and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Broccoli Spinach
other omega 6 0.006 G ~
linoleic acid 0.049 G 0.026 G
Total 0.055 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: Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

Broccoli 91g

( cup )
Daily Values (%)

Spinach 30g

( cup )
31KCAL 2%
349% calories
6.9KCAL 0.3%
6G 2%
445% carbohydrates
1.1G 0.4%
2.4G 10%
264% dietary fiber
0.66G 3%
1.5G >999% sugar 0.13G
0.34G 1%
183% total fat
0.12G 0.2%
0.1G 1%
398% saturated fat
0.02G 0.1%
0.03G >999% monounsaturated fat 0G
0.1G 100% polyunsaturated fat 0.05G
30MG 2%
25% sodium
24MG 2%
Vitamins and Minerals
28UG 4%
Vitamin A 404%
141UG 20%
81MG 108%
864% Vitamin C
8.4MG 11%
43MG 4%
43% calcium
30MG 3%
0.66MG 4%
iron 23%
0.81MG 5%
19MG 6%
magnesium 26%
24MG 8%
288MG 13%
72% potassium
167MG 7%
0.06MG 6%
199% thiamin (Vit B1)
0.02MG 2%
0.11MG 10%
83% riboflavin (Vit B2)
0.06MG 5%
0.58MG 4%
164% niacin (Vit B3)
0.22MG 2%
0.16MG 12%
166% Vitamin B6
0.06MG 5%
0.52MG 10%
>999% pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
0.02MG 0.4%
57UG 14%
folate (Vit B9) 2%
58UG 15%
0.71MG 5%
16% Vitamin E
0.61MG 4%
92UG 103%
Vitamin K 58%
145UG 161%
2.6G 5%
202% protein
0.86G 2%
17MG 4%
193% choline
5.8MG 1%
0.04MG 4%
copper
0.04MG 3%
0.19MG 11%
manganese 42%
0.27MG 15%
60MG 9%
300% phosphorus
15MG 2%
2.3UG 4%
666% selenium
0.3UG 1%
0.37MG 5%
131% zinc
0.16MG 2%
81G 200% Water 27G


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

FAQ

Does spinach or broccoli contain more calories in 100 grams?
Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and broccoli has 34 calories.

Is spinach or broccoli better for protein?
Spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.8g of protein.

Does spinach or broccoli have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and broccoli contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or broccoli contain more calcium?
Both spinach and broccoli are high in calcium. Spinach has 110% more calcium than broccoli - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.

Does spinach or broccoli contain more potassium?
Both spinach and broccoli are high in potassium. Spinach has 80% more potassium than broccoli - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg of potassium.