Cucumber vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Cucumber and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cucumber
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cucumber and spinach:
- Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cucumber contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cucumber (Cucumber, with peel, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cucumber and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cucumber is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Cucumber has a macronutrient ratio of 16:80:5 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cucumber | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 16% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 80% | 49% |
| Fat | 5% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cucumber and spinach are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 340% more dietary fiber than cucumber - cucumber has 0.5g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cucumber and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - cucumber has 1.7g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 340% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both cucumber and spinach are low in saturated fat - cucumber has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 904% more Vitamin C than cucumber - cucumber has 2.8mg 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 92 times more Vitamin A than cucumber - cucumber has 5ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 66 times more Vitamin E than cucumber - cucumber has 0.03mg 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 28 times more Vitamin K than cucumber - cucumber has 16.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cucumber contains more pantothenic acid.
| Cucumber | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.027 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.033 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 0.098 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.259 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.04 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 7 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 519% more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 868% more iron than cucumber - cucumber has 0.28mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.
potassium
Spinach is an excellent source of potassium and it has 280% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg 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,
| Cucumber | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| kaempferol | 0.13 mg | 6.38 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.04 mg | 3.97 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.74 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,
| Cucumber | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 45 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 11 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 23 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cucumber per 100 grams.
| Cucumber | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cucumber and spinach contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cucumber | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.028 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.028 G | 0.026 G |
Customize your serving size
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 Cucumber or Spinach .
Cucumber 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 cucumber or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?Cucumber and spinach contain similar amounts of calories - cucumber has 15 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.
Is cucumber or spinach better for protein?
Spinach has 340% more protein than cucumber - cucumber has 0.65g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.
Does cucumber or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cucumber and spinach are low in carbohydrates - cucumber has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.
Does cucumber or spinach contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 520% more calcium than cucumber - cucumber has 16mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.
Does cucumber or spinach contain more potassium?
Spinach is a rich source of potassium and it has 280% more potassium than cucumber - cucumber has 147mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.