Chickpeas vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chickpeas and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
chickpeas
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chickpeas and spinach:
- Both spinach and chickpeas are high in calcium, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Chickpea is a great source of protein.
- Spinach has 10.4 times less sugar than chickpea.
- Spinach has more riboflavin, however, chickpea contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than chickpea.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chickpeas (Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chickpea is high in calories and spinach has 86% less calories than chickpea - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and chickpea has 164 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chickpeas is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to spinach for fat. Chickpeas has a macronutrient ratio of 21:65:14 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chickpeas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 21% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 49% |
| Fat | 14% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has signficantly less carbohydrates than chickpea - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chickpea has 27.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in dietary fiber. Chickpea has 245% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chickpea has 7.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 10.4 times less sugar than chickpea - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and chickpea has 4.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Chickpea is a great source of protein and it has 210% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chickpea has 8.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and chickpeas are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chickpea has 0.27g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 20 times more Vitamin C than chickpea - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chickpea has 1.3mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 468 times more Vitamin A than chickpea - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chickpea has 1ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 480% more Vitamin E than chickpea - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chickpea has 0.35mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 119 times more Vitamin K than chickpea - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chickpea has 4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin, however, chickpea contains more pantothenic acid. Both chickpeas and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Chickpeas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.116 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.063 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.526 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.286 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.139 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 172 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in calcium. Spinach has 102% more calcium than chickpea - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and chickpea has 49mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in iron. Spinach is very similar to spinach for iron - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chickpea has 2.9mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in potassium. Spinach has 92% more potassium than chickpea - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and chickpea has 291mg 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,
| Chickpeas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 16 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chickpea per 100 grams.
| Chickpeas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.043 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chickpea has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Chickpeas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.113 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 1.113 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 Chickpeas or Spinach .
Cooked Chickpeas g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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% |
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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% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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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% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
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% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 chickpeas contain more calories in 100 grams?Chickpea is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than chickpea - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and chickpea has 164 calories.
Is spinach or chickpeas better for protein?
Chickpea is a great source of protein and it has 210% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chickpea has 8.9g of protein.
Does spinach or chickpeas have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has signficantly fewer carbohydrates than chickpea - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and chickpea has 27.4g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or chickpeas contain more calcium?
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in calcium. Spinach has 100% more calcium than chickpea - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and chickpea has 49mg of calcium.
Does spinach or chickpeas contain more iron?
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in iron. Spinach is very similar to spinach for iron - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and chickpea has 2.9mg of iron.
Does spinach or chickpeas contain more potassium?
Both spinach and chickpeas are high in potassium. Spinach has 90% more potassium than chickpea - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and chickpea has 291mg of potassium.