Butterhead Lettuce vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Butterhead Lettuce and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
butterhead lettuce
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butterhead lettuce and spinach:
- Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K and potassium.
- Spinach has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, butterhead lettuce contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, butterhead lettuce is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to spinach for fat. Butterhead lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 50:50:0 and for spinach, 43:57:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 50% | 43% |
| Carbohydrates | 50% | 57% |
| Fat | ~ | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 100% more dietary fiber than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - butterhead lettuce has 0.94g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are low in saturated fat - butterhead lettuce has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 659% more Vitamin C than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 3.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 183% more Vitamin A than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 166ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 10 times more Vitamin E than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 372% more Vitamin K than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 102.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, butterhead lettuce contains more pantothenic acid. Both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and niacin.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.057 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.062 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.357 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.15 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.082 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 73 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 183% more calcium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 119% more iron than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 134% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg 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 butterhead lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.02 mg | 6.38 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.73 mg | 3.97 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.74 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.35 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,
| Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1987 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1223 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.083 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.083 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.034 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.034 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: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Butterhead Lettuce 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 butterhead lettuce or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.
Is butterhead lettuce or spinach better for protein?
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Does butterhead lettuce or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both butterhead lettuce and spinach are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does butterhead lettuce or spinach contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 180% more calcium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
Does butterhead lettuce or spinach contain more potassium?
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 130% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.