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.
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.
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) .
Lima Beans 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 % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 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.