Apple vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Apple and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
apple
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in apple and spinach:
- Both spinach and apple are high in dietary fiber.
- Spinach has 23.7 times less sugar than apple.
- Spinach has 56% less calories than apple.
- Spinach has 74% less carbohydrates than apple.
- Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has 56% less calories than apple - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and apple has 52 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, apple is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Apple has a macronutrient ratio of 2:96:3 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Apple | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 96% | 49% |
| Fat | 3% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 74% less carbohydrates than apple - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and apple 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 apple has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 23.7 times less sugar than apple - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and apple has 10.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 1000% more protein than apple - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and apple are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and apple has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 511% more Vitamin C than apple - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and apple has 4.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 155 times more Vitamin A than apple - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and apple has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 10 times more Vitamin E than apple - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and apple has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 218 times more Vitamin K than apple - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and apple has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both apple and spinach contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Apple | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.017 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.026 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.061 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 15 times more calcium than apple - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 21 times more iron than apple - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 421% more potassium than apple - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and apple has 107mg 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 apple and spinach contain significant amounts of quercetin.
| Apple | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.12 mg | 0.74 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.14 mg | 6.38 mg |
| Quercetin | 4.01 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,
| Apple | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 27 UG | 5626 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 29 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than apple per 100 grams.
| Apple | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.009 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both apple and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Apple | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.043 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.
Apple 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 apple contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has 60% less calories than apple - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and apple has 52 calories.
Is spinach or apple better for protein?
Spinach has 1000% more protein than apple - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Does spinach or apple have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 70% fewer carbohydrates than apple - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or apple contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 15 times more calcium than apple - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
Does spinach or apple contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 420% more potassium than apple - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and apple has 107mg of potassium.