Brown Rice vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown 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
brown rice
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown rice and spinach:
- Brown rice has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin and folate.
- Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than brown 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.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Brown rice is high in calories and spinach has 81% less calories than brown rice - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 49% |
| Fat | 7% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than brown rice - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 38% more dietary fiber than brown rice - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and brown rice contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.24g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and brown rice contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and brown rice are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than brown rice - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than brown rice - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 10 times more Vitamin E than brown rice - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 2413 times more Vitamin K than brown rice - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Brown rice has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more riboflavin and folate. Both brown rice and spinach contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Brown Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.178 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.069 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 2.561 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.38 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.123 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 9 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 32 times more calcium than brown rice - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 384% more iron than brown rice - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 549% more potassium than brown rice - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than brown rice per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, brown rice has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Brown Rice | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.355 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.359 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 Brown Rice or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Cooked Brown 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 brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?Brown rice is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than brown rice - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.
Is spinach or brown rice better for protein?
Spinach and brown rice contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.
Does spinach or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than brown rice - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or brown rice contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 32 times more calcium than brown rice - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.
Does spinach or brown rice contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 550% more potassium than brown rice - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.