Spinach vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Spinach and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
spinach
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in spinach and squash:
- Both spinach and squash are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Spinach has 65% less carbohydrates than squash.
- Spinach has more lutein + zeaxanthin than squash, however, squash contains more alpha-carotene than spinach.
- Spinach has more riboflavin and folate, however, squash contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Spinach (Spinach, raw) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and squash contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and squash has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, spinach is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to squash per calorie. Spinach has a macronutrient ratio of 40:49:10 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Spinach | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 40% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 49% | 91% |
| Fat | 10% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 65% less carbohydrates than squash - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and squash are high in dietary fiber. Squash has 45% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and squash contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and squash has 2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach has 218% more protein than squash - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and squash are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and squash has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both spinach and squash are high in Vitamin C. Spinach has 86% more Vitamin C than squash - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and squash are high in Vitamin A. Squash has 19% more Vitamin A than spinach - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and squash has 558ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach and squash contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 481 times more Vitamin K than squash - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and squash has 1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin and folate, however, squash contains more pantothenic acid. Both spinach and squash contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Spinach | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.189 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 0.724 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.065 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.195 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 194 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and squash are high in calcium. Spinach has 141% more calcium than squash - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 352% more iron than squash - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and squash has 0.6mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and squash are high in potassium. Spinach has 96% more potassium than squash - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and squash has 284mg 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 lutein + zeaxanthin than squash per 100 grams, however, squash contains more alpha-carotene than spinach per 100 grams. Both spinach and squash contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Spinach | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5626 UG | 4570 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 12198 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than squash per 100 grams.
| Spinach | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.138 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.138 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both spinach and squash contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Spinach | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.014 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.014 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.
Spinach g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 spinach or squash contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and squash contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and squash has 40 calories.
Is spinach or squash better for protein?
Spinach has 220% more protein than squash - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and squash has 0.9g of protein.
Does spinach or squash have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 70% fewer carbohydrates than squash - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and squash has 10.5g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or squash contain more calcium?
Both spinach and squash are high in calcium. Spinach has 140% more calcium than squash - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and squash has 41mg of calcium.
Does spinach or squash contain more potassium?
Both spinach and squash are high in potassium. Spinach has 100% more potassium than squash - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and squash has 284mg of potassium.