Carrots vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Carrots and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
carrots
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in carrots and spinach:
- Both spinach and carrots are high in Vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Carrot has more alpha-carotene than spinach, however, spinach contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot.
- Spinach has 10.2 times less sugar than carrot.
- Spinach has more riboflavin and folate, however, carrot contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Carrots (Carrots, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and carrots contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, carrots is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Carrots has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:5 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Carrots | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 49% |
| Fat | 5% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and carrots are high in dietary fiber. Carrot has 27% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 10.2 times less sugar than carrot - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 208% more protein than carrot - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and carrots are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 376% more Vitamin C than carrot - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and carrots are high in Vitamin A. Carrot has 78% more Vitamin A than spinach - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 35 times more Vitamin K than carrot - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin and folate, however, carrot contains more pantothenic acid. Both carrots and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Carrots | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.066 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.273 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.138 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 200% more calcium than carrot - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 803% more iron than carrot - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and carrots are high in potassium. Spinach has 74% more potassium than carrot - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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,
| Carrots | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.11 mg | 0.74 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.24 mg | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | 0.04 mg | 0.35 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.21 mg | 3.97 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, carrot has more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams, however, spinach contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than carrot per 100 grams. Both carrots and spinach contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Carrots | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 8285 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 3477 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 256 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.002 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.002 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, carrot has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Carrots | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.1 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.1 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.
Carrots 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 carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and carrots contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Is spinach or carrots better for protein?
Spinach has 210% more protein than carrot - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Does spinach or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach and carrots contain similar amounts of carbs - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or carrots contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 200% more calcium than carrot - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
Does spinach or carrots contain more potassium?
Both spinach and carrots are high in potassium. Spinach has 70% more potassium than carrot - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.