Romaine Lettuce vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Romaine Lettuce and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
romaine lettuce
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in romaine lettuce and spinach:
- Both spinach and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin K, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, romaine lettuce contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, romaine lettuce is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to spinach for fat. Romaine lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 26:65:10 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Romaine Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 65% | 49% |
| Fat | 10% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are high in dietary fiber. Spinach has a little more dietary fiber (5%) than romaine lettuce by weight - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 2.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 133% more protein than romaine lettuce - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 603% more Vitamin C than romaine lettuce - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has a little more Vitamin A (8%) than romaine lettuce by weight - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 436ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 14 times more Vitamin E than romaine lettuce - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 371% more Vitamin K than romaine lettuce - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 102.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, romaine lettuce contains more pantothenic acid. Both romaine lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and folate.
| Romaine Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.072 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.067 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.313 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.142 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.074 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 136 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 200% more calcium than romaine lettuce - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 179% more iron than romaine lettuce - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are high in potassium. Spinach has 126% more potassium than romaine lettuce - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg 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, both romaine lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Romaine Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.05 mg | 0.74 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.02 mg | 6.38 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.2 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, both romaine lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Romaine Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5226 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 2312 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both romaine lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Romaine Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.113 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.113 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both romaine lettuce and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Romaine Lettuce | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.047 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Romaine Lettuce (Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Romaine Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
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 % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 % |
|
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 romaine lettuce contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and romaine lettuce contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and romaine lettuce has 17 calories.
Is spinach or romaine lettuce better for protein?
Spinach has 130% more protein than romaine lettuce - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 1.2g of protein.
Does spinach or romaine lettuce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and romaine lettuce are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and romaine lettuce has 3.3g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or romaine lettuce contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 200% more calcium than romaine lettuce - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 33mg of calcium.
Does spinach or romaine lettuce contain more potassium?
Both spinach and romaine lettuce are high in potassium. Spinach has 130% more potassium than romaine lettuce - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and romaine lettuce has 247mg of potassium.