Green Bean vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Green Bean and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
green bean
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in green bean and spinach:
- Both spinach and green bean are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Green bean has more pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than green bean, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and green bean has 31 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, green bean is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Green bean has a macronutrient ratio of 20:76:5 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Green Bean | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 49% |
| Fat | 5% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and green bean has 7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and green bean are high in dietary fiber. Green bean has 23% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and green bean has 2.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and green bean has 3.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and green bean has 1.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and green bean are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and green bean has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both spinach and green bean are high in Vitamin C. Spinach has 130% more Vitamin C than green bean - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and green bean has 12.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 12 times more Vitamin A than green bean - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and green bean has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 395% more Vitamin E than green bean - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and green bean has 0.41mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 10 times more Vitamin K than green bean - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and green bean has 43ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Green bean has more pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate. Both green bean and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Green Bean | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.082 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.104 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.225 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.141 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 33 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 168% more calcium than green bean - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and green bean has 37mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 163% more iron than green bean - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and green bean has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and green bean are high in potassium. Spinach has 164% more potassium than green bean - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and green bean has 211mg 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 green bean and spinach contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Green Bean | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.13 mg | 0.74 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | 0.13 mg | 0.35 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.73 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 green bean per 100 grams, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 379 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 69 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 640 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both green bean and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Green Bean | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.069 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.069 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both green bean and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Green Bean | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.044 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.044 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: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Green Bean g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does spinach or green bean contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and green bean has 31 calories.
Is spinach or green bean better for protein?
Spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and green bean has 1.8g of protein.
Does spinach or green bean have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and green bean contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and green bean has 7g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or green bean contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 170% more calcium than green bean - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and green bean has 37mg of calcium.
Does spinach or green bean contain more potassium?
Both spinach and green bean are high in potassium. Spinach has 160% more potassium than green bean - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and green bean has 211mg of potassium.