Onion vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Onion and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
onion
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in onion and spinach:
- Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Onion (Onions, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and onion contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, onion is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Onion has a macronutrient ratio of 11:87:3 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Onion | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 49% |
| Fat | 3% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 29% more dietary fiber than onion - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 160% more protein than onion - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and onion are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 280% more Vitamin C than onion - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than onion - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 100 times more Vitamin E than onion - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1206 times more Vitamin K than onion - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both onion and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Onion | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.123 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 330% more calcium than onion - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than onion - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 282% more potassium than onion - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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, spinach has more luteolin, kaempferol and myricetin than onion per 100 grams, however, onion contains more isorhamnetin and quercetin than spinach per 100 grams.
| Onion | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | 0.74 mg |
| isorhamnetin | 5.01 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.65 mg | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | 0.35 mg |
| Quercetin | 20.3 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,
| Onion | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than onion per 100 grams.
| Onion | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.004 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.004 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both onion and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Onion | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.013 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.
Onion g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and onion contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Is spinach or onion better for protein?
Spinach has 160% more protein than onion - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Does spinach or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and onion contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or onion contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 330% more calcium than onion - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
Does spinach or onion contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 280% more potassium than onion - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and onion has 146mg of potassium.