Beef vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and spinach:
- Both spinach and beef are high in iron and potassium.
- Beef has more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Beef is an excellent source of protein.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beef is high in calories and spinach has 92% less calories than beef - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and beef has 277 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to spinach for protein. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 49% |
| Fat | 62% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and beef are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach and beef contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Beef is an excellent source of protein and it has 787% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and spinach has 99% less saturated fat than beef - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beef has 7.3g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Spinach has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Spinach has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than beef - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 155 times more Vitamin A than beef - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beef has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Beef and spinach contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 15 times more Vitamin E than beef - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 159 times more Vitamin K than beef - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beef has 3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Beef has more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate. Both beef and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Beef | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 183% more calcium than beef - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and beef has 35mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and beef are high in iron. Spinach has 20% more iron than beef - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and beef has 2.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and beef are high in potassium. Spinach has 103% more potassium than beef - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beef per 100 grams.
| Beef | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beef has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Beef | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.402 G | 0.026 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Beef or Spinach .
Cooked Beef 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 beef contain more calories in 100 grams?Beef is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than beef - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and beef has 277 calories.
Is spinach or beef better for protein?
Beef is a fantastic source of protein and it has 790% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beef has 25.4g of protein.
Does spinach or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and beef are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..
Does spinach or beef contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 180% more calcium than beef - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and beef has 35mg of calcium.
Does spinach or beef contain more iron?
Both spinach and beef are high in iron. Spinach has 20% more iron than beef - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and beef has 2.3mg of iron.
Does spinach or beef contain more potassium?
Both spinach and beef are high in potassium. Spinach has 100% more potassium than beef - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and beef has 275mg of potassium.