Egg Yolk vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Egg Yolk and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
egg yolk
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in egg yolk and spinach:
- Both spinach and egg yolk are high in Vitamin A, calcium and iron.
- Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more niacin.
- Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more dha and epa than spinach.
- Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than egg yolk, however, egg yolk contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Egg Yolk (Egg, yolk, raw, fresh) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Egg yolk is high in calories and spinach has 93% less calories than egg yolk - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and egg yolk has 322 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, egg yolk is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Egg yolk has a macronutrient ratio of 20:5:76 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Egg Yolk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 5% | 49% |
| Fat | 76% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than egg yolk - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and egg yolk does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Spinach and egg yolk contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.56g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Egg yolk is an excellent source of protein and it has 455% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Egg yolk is high in saturated fat and spinach has 99% less saturated fat than egg yolk - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and egg yolk has 9.6g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Egg yolk is high in cholesterol and spinach has less cholesterol than egg yolk - egg yolk has 1085mg 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 egg yolk - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and egg yolk does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and egg yolk are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 23% more Vitamin A than egg yolk - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and egg yolk has 381ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Egg yolk is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than spinach - egg yolk has 218iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and spinach does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach and egg yolk contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.6mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 688 times more Vitamin K than egg yolk - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and egg yolk has 0.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Egg yolk has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12, however, spinach contains more niacin. Both egg yolk and spinach contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Egg Yolk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.176 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.528 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.024 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 2.99 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.35 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 146 UG | 194 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.95 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 30% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and egg yolk are high in iron. Spinach is very similar to spinach for iron - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 412% more potassium than egg yolk - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg 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, spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than egg yolk per 100 grams, however, egg yolk contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams.
| Egg Yolk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 88 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 38 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1094 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, egg yolk has more DHA and EPA than spinach per 100 grams. Both egg yolk and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Egg Yolk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.103 G | 0.138 G |
| DHA | 0.114 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.011 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.228 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, egg yolk has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Egg Yolk | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.438 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 3.538 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 3.976 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.
Egg Yolk 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 egg yolk contain more calories in 100 grams?Egg yolk is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than egg yolk - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and egg yolk has 322 calories.
Is spinach or egg yolk better for protein?
Egg yolk is a fantastic source of protein and it has 460% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and egg yolk has 15.9g of protein.
Does spinach or egg yolk have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and egg yolk are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and egg yolk has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or egg yolk contain more calcium?
Both spinach and egg yolk are high in calcium. Egg yolk has 30% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 129mg of calcium.
Does spinach or egg yolk contain more iron?
Both spinach and egg yolk are high in iron. Spinach is very similar to spinach for iron - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and egg yolk has 2.7mg of iron.
Does spinach or egg yolk contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 410% more potassium than egg yolk - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and egg yolk has 109mg of potassium.