Cheddar Cheese vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cheddar Cheese and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cheddar cheese
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cheddar cheese and spinach:
- Both spinach and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A and calcium.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more dpa than spinach.
- Spinach has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cheddar cheese is high in calories and spinach has 94% less calories than cheddar cheese - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cheddar cheese is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Cheddar cheese has a macronutrient ratio of 23:3:74 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cheddar Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 23% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 3% | 49% |
| Fat | 74% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheddar cheese - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of protein and it has 700% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and spinach has 100% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spinach has less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 99mg 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 cheddar cheese - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and cheddar cheese are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 39% more Vitamin A than cheddar cheese - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than spinach - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 200 times more Vitamin K than cheddar cheese - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheddar cheese contains more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12.
| Cheddar Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.029 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.428 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.059 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.41 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.066 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.1 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 617% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than cheddar cheese - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 634% more potassium than cheddar cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Cheddar Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 85 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more DPA than spinach per 100 grams. Both cheddar cheese and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Cheddar Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.114 G | 0.138 G |
| DHA | 0.001 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.017 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.142 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Cheddar Cheese | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.036 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.171 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 1.207 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 Cheddar Cheese or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Cheddar Cheese g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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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 % |
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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% |
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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% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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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% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does spinach or cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Cheddar cheese is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than cheddar cheese - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Is spinach or cheddar cheese better for protein?
Cheddar cheese is a fantastic source of protein and it has 700% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Does spinach or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and cheddar cheese are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Both spinach and cheddar cheese are high in calcium. Cheddar cheese has 620% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
Does spinach or cheddar cheese contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 630% more potassium than cheddar cheese - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.