White Rice vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked White Rice and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
white rice
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in white rice and spinach:
- Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than white rice.
- 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.
- White rice has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
White rice is high in calories and spinach has 82% less calories than white rice - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and white rice has 130 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, white rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. White rice has a macronutrient ratio of 8:91:2 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| White Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 8% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 49% |
| Fat | 2% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than white rice - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and white rice has 28.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 633% more dietary fiber than white rice - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and white rice contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Spinach and white rice contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and white rice has 2.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and white rice are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and white rice has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than white rice - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than white rice - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has more Vitamin E than white rice - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than white rice - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
White rice has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| White Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.167 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.016 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 1.835 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.411 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 58 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 32 times more calcium than white rice - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and white rice has 3mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 82% more iron than white rice - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and white rice has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 18 times more potassium than white rice - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and white rice has 29mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than white rice per 100 grams.
| White Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both white rice and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| White Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.046 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: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Cooked White Rice 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 white rice contain more calories in 100 grams?White rice is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than white rice - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and white rice has 130 calories.
Is spinach or white rice better for protein?
Spinach and white rice contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and white rice has 2.4g of protein.
Does spinach or white rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than white rice - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and white rice has 28.6g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or white rice contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 32 times more calcium than white rice - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and white rice has 3mg of calcium.
Does spinach or white rice contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 18 times more potassium than white rice - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and white rice has 29mg of potassium.