Lemon vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and spinach:
- Both lemon and spinach are high in Vitamin C and dietary fiber.
- Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, lemon contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.
| Lemon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 49% |
| Fat | 6% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lemon and spinach are high in dietary fiber. Lemon has 27% more dietary fiber than spinach - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 160% more protein than lemon - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and spinach are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and spinach are high in Vitamin C. Lemon has 89% more Vitamin C than spinach - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 468 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 12 times more Vitamin E than lemon - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than lemon - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, lemon contains more pantothenic acid. Both lemon and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin.
| Lemon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 281% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 352% more iron than lemon - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 304% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg 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, lemon has more luteolin than spinach per 100 grams, however, spinach contains more kaempferol and quercetin than lemon per 100 grams. Both lemon and spinach contain significant amounts of myricetin.
| Lemon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 1.9 mg | 0.74 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.03 mg | 6.38 mg |
| myricetin | 0.5 mg | 0.35 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.14 mg | 3.97 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,
| Lemon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than lemon per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.063 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.
Lemon 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 lemon or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.
Is lemon or spinach better for protein?
Spinach has 160% more protein than lemon - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Does lemon or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and spinach contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does lemon or spinach contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 280% more calcium than lemon - lemon has 26mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
Does lemon or spinach contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 300% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.