Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
iceberg lettuce
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in iceberg lettuce and spinach:
Spinach and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 14 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, iceberg lettuce is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Iceberg lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 22:73:6 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
Iceberg Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
Protein | 22% | 39% |
Carbohydrates | 73% | 49% |
Fat | 6% | 12% |
Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Both spinach and iceberg lettuce are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 3g of carbohydrates.
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 83% more dietary fiber than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 1.2g of dietary fiber.
Spinach and iceberg lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2g of sugar.
Spinach has 218% more protein than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.9g of protein.
Both spinach and iceberg lettuce are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 904% more Vitamin C than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 2.8mg of Vitamin C.
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 17 times more Vitamin A than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 25ug of Vitamin A.
Spinach has 10 times more Vitamin E than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 19 times more Vitamin K than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 24.1ug of Vitamin K.
Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both iceberg lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and pantothenic acid.
Iceberg Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.078 MG |
Riboflavin | 0.025 MG | 0.189 MG |
Niacin | 0.123 MG | 0.724 MG |
Pantothenic acid | 0.091 MG | 0.065 MG |
Vitamin B6 | 0.042 MG | 0.195 MG |
Folate | 29 UG | 194 UG |
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 450% more calcium than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 18mg of calcium.
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 561% more iron than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 0.41mg of iron.
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 296% more potassium than iceberg lettuce - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and iceberg lettuce has 141mg of potassium.
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,
Iceberg Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
apigenin | 0.13 mg | ~ |
luteolin | 0.03 mg | 0.74 mg |
kaempferol | 0.15 mg | 6.38 mg |
myricetin | 0.06 mg | 0.35 mg |
Quercetin | 1.42 mg | 3.97 mg |
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,
Iceberg Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
beta-carotene | 299 UG | 5626 UG |
alpha-carotene | 4 UG | ~ |
lutein + zeaxanthin | 277 UG | 12198 UG |
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than iceberg lettuce per 100 grams.
Iceberg Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
alpha linoleic acid | 0.052 G | 0.138 G |
Total | 0.052 G | 0.138 G |
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both iceberg lettuce and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
Iceberg Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
linoleic acid | 0.021 G | 0.026 G |
Total | 0.021 G | 0.026 G |
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 Iceberg Lettuce or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Iceberg Lettuce (Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Iceberg Lettuce 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 % |
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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 | |||