Lima Beans vs. Spinach

Nutrition comparison of Lima Beans and Spinach

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of lima beans versus spinach (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lima beans and spinach:

  • Both lima beans and spinach are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
  • Lima bean has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate.
  • Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than lima bean.
  • Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lima beans and spinach is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Lima Beans (Lima beans, immature seeds, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Lima Beans src
Image of Spinach src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lima bean is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than lima bean - lima bean has 113 calories per 100 grams and spinach has 23 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lima beans is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and similar to spinach for fat. Lima beans has a macronutrient ratio of 24:70:7 and for spinach, 40:49:10 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lima Beans Spinach
Protein 24% 40%
Carbohydrates 70% 49%
Fat 7% 10%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than lima bean - lima bean has 20.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both lima beans and spinach are high in dietary fiber. Lima bean has 123% more dietary fiber than spinach - lima bean has 4.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Lima beans and spinach contain similar amounts of sugar - lima bean has 1.5g of sugar per 100 grams and spinach has 0.42g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lima bean has 139% more protein than spinach - lima bean has 6.8g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both lima beans and spinach are low in saturated fat - lima bean has 0.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Both lima beans and spinach are high in Vitamin C. Spinach has 20% more Vitamin C than lima bean - lima bean has 23.4mg 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 45 times more Vitamin A than lima bean - lima bean has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Spinach has 534% more Vitamin E than lima bean - lima bean has 0.32mg 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 85 times more Vitamin K than lima bean - lima bean has 5.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Lima bean has more thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate. Both lima beans and spinach contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.

Lima Beans Spinach
Thiamin 0.217 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.103 MG 0.189 MG
Niacin 1.474 MG 0.724 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.247 MG 0.065 MG
Vitamin B6 0.204 MG 0.195 MG
Folate 34 UG 194 UG

Minerals

calcium

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 191% more calcium than lima bean - lima bean has 34mg of calcium per 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.

iron

Both lima beans and spinach are high in iron. Lima bean has 16% more iron than spinach - lima bean has 3.1mg of iron per 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.

potassium

Both lima beans and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 19% more potassium than lima bean - lima bean has 467mg of potassium per 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

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,

Lima Beans Spinach
beta-carotene 126 UG 5626 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 12198 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both lima beans and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Lima Beans Spinach
alpha linoleic acid 0.136 G 0.138 G
Total 0.136 G 0.138 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lima bean has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.

Lima Beans Spinach
linoleic acid 0.283 G 0.026 G
Total 0.283 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: Lima Beans (Lima beans, immature seeds, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .

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FAQ

Does lima beans or spinach contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lima bean is high in calories and spinach has 80% less calories than lima bean - lima bean has 113 calories in 100g and spinach has 23 calories.

Is lima beans or spinach better for protein?
Lima bean has 140% more protein than spinach - lima bean has 6.8g of protein per 100 grams and spinach has 2.9g of protein.

Does lima beans or spinach have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 4.5 times fewer carbohydrates than lima bean - lima bean has 20.2g of carbs for 100g and spinach has 3.6g of carbohydrates.

Does lima beans or spinach contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 190% more calcium than lima bean - lima bean has 34mg of calcium in 100 grams and spinach has 99mg of calcium.

Does lima beans or spinach contain more iron?
Both lima beans and spinach are high in iron. Lima bean has 20% more iron than spinach - lima bean has 3.1mg of iron in 100 grams and spinach has 2.7mg of iron.

Does lima beans or spinach contain more potassium?
Both lima beans and spinach are high in potassium. Spinach has 20% more potassium than lima bean - lima bean has 467mg of potassium in 100 grams and spinach has 558mg of potassium.