Cheese vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Cheese and Spinach


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

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

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

  • Both spinach and cheese are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
  • Cheese is an excellent source of protein.
  • Spinach has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, 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 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: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cheese src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Cheese is high in calories and spinach has 94% less calories than cheese - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 25:0:75 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cheese Spinach
Protein 25% 39%
Carbohydrates ~ 49%
Fat 75% 12%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Both spinach and cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

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

sugar

Spinach and cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 723% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cheese is high in saturated fat and spinach has 100% less saturated fat than cheese - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Spinach has less cholesterol than cheese - cheese has 95mg 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 cheese - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Both spinach and cheese are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 170% more Vitamin A than cheese - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin D

Cheese has more Vitamin D than spinach - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 712% more Vitamin E than cheese - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 192 times more Vitamin K than cheese - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Cheese Spinach
Thiamin 0.023 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.318 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 0.114 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.249 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.061 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 13 UG 194 UG
Vitamin B12 1.23 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Both spinach and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 566% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.

iron

Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 359% more iron than cheese - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.

potassium

Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 556% more potassium than cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg 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,

Cheese Spinach
beta-carotene 56 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Cheese Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.332 G 0.138 G
Total 0.332 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

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

Cheese Spinach
linoleic acid 0.532 G 0.026 G
Total 0.532 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 Cheese or Spinach .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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FAQ

Does spinach or cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?
Cheese is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than cheese - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.

Is spinach or cheese better for protein?
Cheese is a fantastic source of protein and it has 720% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.

Does spinach or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.

Does spinach or cheese contain more calcium?
Both spinach and cheese are high in calcium. Cheese has 570% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.

Does spinach or cheese contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 560% more potassium than cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and cheese has 85mg of potassium.