Banana vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Banana and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
banana
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in banana and spinach:
- Both spinach and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Spinach has 28.1 times less sugar than banana.
- Spinach has 5.2 times less carbohydrates than banana.
- Spinach has 74% less calories than banana.
- Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
- Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, banana contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has 74% less calories than banana - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, banana is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Banana | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 93% | 49% |
| Fat | 3% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 5.2 times less carbohydrates than banana - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and banana are high in dietary fiber. Spinach is very similar to spinach for dietary fiber - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 28.1 times less sugar than banana - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 162% more protein than banana - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and banana are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 223% more Vitamin C than banana - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 155 times more Vitamin A than banana - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 19 times more Vitamin E than banana - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 964 times more Vitamin K than banana - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, banana contains more pantothenic acid. Both banana and spinach contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Banana | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.665 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.334 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.367 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 20 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than banana - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 942% more iron than banana - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and banana are high in potassium. Spinach has 56% more potassium than banana - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg 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,
| Banana | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.11 mg | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | 0.01 mg | 0.35 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.06 mg | 3.97 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.74 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 banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams.
| Banana | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 26 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 25 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than banana per 100 grams.
| Banana | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.027 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.027 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both banana and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Banana | 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.
Banana 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 banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has 70% less calories than banana - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Is spinach or banana better for protein?
Spinach has 160% more protein than banana - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Does spinach or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 5.2 times fewer carbohydrates than banana - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or banana contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 18 times more calcium than banana - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
Does spinach or banana contain more potassium?
Both spinach and banana are high in potassium. Spinach has 60% more potassium than banana - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.