Peas vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Peas and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
peas
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in peas and spinach:
- Both spinach and peas are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Pea has more thiamin and niacin, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Spinach has 12.5 times less sugar than pea.
- Spinach has 72% less calories than pea.
- Spinach has 75% less carbohydrates than pea.
- Spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than pea, however, pea contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Peas (Peas, green, raw) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has 72% less calories than pea - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and pea has 81 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, peas is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spinach per calorie. Peas has a macronutrient ratio of 26:70:4 and for spinach, 39:49:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Peas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 70% | 49% |
| Fat | 4% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 75% less carbohydrates than pea - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and pea has 14.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and peas are high in dietary fiber. Pea has 159% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pea has 5.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach has 12.5 times less sugar than pea - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and pea has 5.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pea has 90% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and pea has 5.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and peas are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pea has 0.07g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both spinach and peas are high in Vitamin C. Pea has 42% more Vitamin C than spinach - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pea has 40mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 11 times more Vitamin A than pea - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pea has 38ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 14 times more Vitamin E than pea - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pea has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 18 times more Vitamin K than pea - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pea has 24.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pea has more thiamin and niacin, however, spinach contains more folate. Both peas and spinach contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Peas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.266 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.132 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 2.09 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.104 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.169 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 65 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 296% more calcium than pea - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and pea has 25mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 84% more iron than pea - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and pea has 1.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and peas are high in potassium. Spinach has 129% more potassium than pea - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and pea has 244mg 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, spinach has more beta-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than pea per 100 grams, however, pea contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams.
| Peas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 449 UG | 5626 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 21 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 2477 UG | 12198 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pea per 100 grams.
| Peas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.035 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.035 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pea has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Peas | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.152 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 0.152 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 Peas or Spinach .
Peas 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 peas contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has 70% less calories than pea - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and pea has 81 calories.
Is spinach or peas better for protein?
Pea has 90% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and pea has 5.4g of protein.
Does spinach or peas have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 80% fewer carbohydrates than pea - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and pea has 14.5g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or peas contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 300% more calcium than pea - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and pea has 25mg of calcium.
Does spinach or peas contain more potassium?
Both spinach and peas are high in potassium. Spinach has 130% more potassium than pea - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and pea has 244mg of potassium.