Chicken Breast vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
chicken breast
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chicken breast and spinach:
- Both spinach and chicken breast are high in potassium.
- Chicken breast has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chicken breast is high in calories and spinach has 86% less calories than chicken breast - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chicken Breast | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 79% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 49% |
| Fat | 21% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach and chicken breast contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein and it has 985% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spinach and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Spinach has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg 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 chicken breast - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 77 times more Vitamin A than chicken breast - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than spinach - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 652% more Vitamin E than chicken breast - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 1608 times more Vitamin K than chicken breast - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken breast has more niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more folate. Both chicken breast and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Chicken Breast | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.07 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 13.712 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.965 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.34 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 560% more calcium than chicken breast - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 161% more iron than chicken breast - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and chicken breast are high in potassium. Spinach has 118% more potassium than chicken breast - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chicken breast per 100 grams, however, chicken breast contains more dha than spinach per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.03 G | 0.138 G |
| DHA | 0.02 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.07 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.59 G | 0.026 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.06 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.65 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 Chicken Breast or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Cooked Chicken Breast 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 chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Chicken breast is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than chicken breast - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is spinach or chicken breast better for protein?
Chicken breast is a fantastic source of protein and it has 990% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does spinach or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and chicken breast are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..
Does spinach or chicken breast contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 560% more calcium than chicken breast - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
Does spinach or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both spinach and chicken breast are high in potassium. Spinach has 120% more potassium than chicken breast - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.