Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
butterhead lettuce
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in butterhead lettuce and spinach:
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, butterhead lettuce is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to spinach for fat. Butterhead lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 35:54:11 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
Protein | 35% | 39% |
Carbohydrates | 54% | 49% |
Fat | 11% | 12% |
Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are low in carbohydrates - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 100% more dietary fiber than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - butterhead lettuce has 0.94g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.
Butterhead lettuce and spinach contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are low in saturated fat - butterhead lettuce has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 659% more Vitamin C than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 3.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C.
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 183% more Vitamin A than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 166ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.
Spinach has 10 times more Vitamin E than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E.
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 372% more Vitamin K than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 102.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.
Spinach has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, butterhead lettuce contains more pantothenic acid. Both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of thiamin and niacin.
Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
Thiamin | 0.057 MG | 0.078 MG |
Riboflavin | 0.062 MG | 0.189 MG |
Niacin | 0.357 MG | 0.724 MG |
Pantothenic acid | 0.15 MG | 0.065 MG |
Vitamin B6 | 0.082 MG | 0.195 MG |
Folate | 73 UG | 194 UG |
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 183% more calcium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 119% more iron than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
Both butterhead lettuce and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 134% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg 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, both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of quercetin.
Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
kaempferol | 0.02 mg | 6.38 mg |
Quercetin | 2.73 mg | 3.97 mg |
luteolin | ~ | 0.74 mg |
myricetin | ~ | 0.35 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,
Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
beta-carotene | 1987 UG | 5626 UG |
lutein + zeaxanthin | 1223 UG | 12198 UG |
For omega-3 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
alpha linoleic acid | 0.083 G | 0.138 G |
Total | 0.083 G | 0.138 G |
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both butterhead lettuce and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
Butterhead Lettuce | Spinach | |
---|---|---|
linoleic acid | 0.034 G | 0.026 G |
Total | 0.034 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 Butterhead Lettuce or Spinach .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Butterhead Lettuce g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spinach g
()
|
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KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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UG % | |
UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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MG % | |
UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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MG % | |
UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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UG % | |
MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||