Pasta vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and spinach:
- Both spinach and pasta are high in dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- Pasta is an excellent source of protein.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and spinach has 94% less calories than pasta - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 49% |
| Fat | 4% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and spinach has 95% less carbohydrates than pasta - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 45% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 356% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and pasta are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than pasta - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 17 times more Vitamin E than pasta - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 4828 times more Vitamin K than pasta - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Both pasta and spinach contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Pasta | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 371% more calcium than pasta - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and pasta are high in iron. Pasta has 22% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and pasta are high in potassium. Spinach has 150% more potassium than pasta - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.54 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 Pasta or Spinach .
Pasta 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 % |
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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 spinach or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than pasta - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Is spinach or pasta better for protein?
Pasta is a fantastic source of protein and it has 360% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Does spinach or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and spinach has 100% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or pasta contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 370% more calcium than pasta - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
Does spinach or pasta contain more iron?
Both spinach and pasta are high in iron. Pasta has 20% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does spinach or pasta contain more potassium?
Both spinach and pasta are high in potassium. Spinach has 150% more potassium than pasta - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.