Watermelon vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and spinach:
- Spinach has 13.7 times less sugar than watermelon.
- Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than watermelon, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than spinach.
- Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, watermelon contains more pantothenic acid.
- 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 49% |
| Fat | 4% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon and spinach contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 450% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 13.7 times less sugar than watermelon - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 369% more protein than watermelon - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and spinach are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 247% more Vitamin C than watermelon - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 15 times more Vitamin A than watermelon - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 39 times more Vitamin E than watermelon - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 4828 times more Vitamin K than watermelon - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, watermelon contains more pantothenic acid.
| Watermelon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 13 times more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than watermelon - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 398% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg 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 watermelon and spinach contain significant amounts of luteolin.
| Watermelon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.46 mg | 0.74 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.35 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 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 watermelon per 100 grams, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than spinach per 100 grams.
| Watermelon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 5626 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.05 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Watermelon 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 watermelon or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.
Is watermelon or spinach better for protein?
Spinach has 370% more protein than watermelon - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Does watermelon or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon and spinach contain similar amounts of carbs - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does watermelon or spinach contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 13 times more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
Does watermelon or spinach contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 400% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.