Chives vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Chives and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
chives
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chives and spinach:
- Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Chive has more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chives (Chives, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and chive has 30 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chives is heavier in fat and similar to spinach for protein and carbs. Chives has a macronutrient ratio of 36:47:17 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chives | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 36% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 47% | 49% |
| Fat | 17% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and chives are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and chive has 4.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and chives are high in dietary fiber. Spinach is very similar to spinach for dietary fiber - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chive has 2.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and chive has 1.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chive has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and chives are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chive has 0.15g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin C. Chive has 107% more Vitamin C than spinach - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chive has 58.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 115% more Vitamin A than chive - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chive has 218ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 867% more Vitamin E than chive - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chive has 0.21mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both spinach and chives are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 127% more Vitamin K than chive - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chive has 212.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chive has more pantothenic acid. Both chives and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Chives | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.115 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.647 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.324 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.138 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 105 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and chives are high in calcium. Spinach has a little more calcium (8%) than chive by weight - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and chive has 92mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 69% more iron than chive - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and chive has 1.6mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and chives are high in potassium. Spinach has 89% more potassium than chive - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and chive has 296mg 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, spinach has more luteolin and myricetin than chive per 100 grams, however, chive contains more isorhamnetin than spinach per 100 grams. Both chives and spinach contain significant amounts of kaempferol and quercetin.
| Chives | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.15 mg | 0.74 mg |
| isorhamnetin | 6.75 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 10.0 mg | 6.38 mg |
| Quercetin | 4.77 mg | 3.97 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,
| Chives | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2612 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 323 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chive per 100 grams.
| Chives | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.015 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.015 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chive has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Chives | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.252 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.252 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 Chives or Spinach .
Chives g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
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| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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| 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% |
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| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does spinach or chives contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and chive has 30 calories.
Is spinach or chives better for protein?
Spinach and chives contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and chive has 3.3g of protein.
Does spinach or chives have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and chives are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and chive has 4.4g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or chives contain more calcium?
Both spinach and chives are high in calcium. Spinach has a little more calcium ( 10%) than chive by weight - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and chive has 92mg of calcium.
Does spinach or chives contain more potassium?
Both spinach and chives are high in potassium. Spinach has 90% more potassium than chive - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and chive has 296mg of potassium.