Beets vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and spinach:
- Both spinach and beets are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Spinach has 15.1 times less sugar than beet.
- Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, beet 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 49% |
| Fat | 4% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and beets are high in dietary fiber. Beet has 27% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 15.1 times less sugar than beet - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and beets are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 473% more Vitamin C than beet - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 233 times more Vitamin A than beet - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beet has 2ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 49 times more Vitamin E than beet - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 2413 times more Vitamin K than beet - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, beet contains more pantothenic acid. Both beets and spinach contain significant amounts of folate.
| Beets | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 519% more calcium than beet - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 239% more iron than beet - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and beets are high in potassium. Spinach has 72% more potassium than beet - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg 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 beets and spinach contain significant amounts of luteolin.
| Beets | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | 0.74 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 3.97 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.35 mg |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than beet per 100 grams.
| Beets | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beet has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Beets | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.055 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 Beets or Spinach .
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 beets contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.
Is spinach or beets better for protein?
Spinach and beets contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.
Does spinach or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and beets contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or beets contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 520% more calcium than beet - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.
Does spinach or beets contain more potassium?
Both spinach and beets are high in potassium. Spinach has 70% more potassium than beet - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.