Spinach vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Spinach and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
spinach
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in spinach and spirulina:
- Both spinach and spirulina are high in calcium, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Spinach has 41 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Spinach has 5.5 times less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Spinach (Spinach, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and spinach has 92% less calories than spirulina - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
| Spinach | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 40% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 49% | 24% |
| Fat | 10% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 5.5 times less carbohydrates than spirulina - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Spirulina has 64% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 19 times more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Spinach has 41 times less saturated fat than spirulina - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 178% more Vitamin C than spirulina - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 15 times more Vitamin A than spirulina - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 146% more Vitamin E than spinach - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 17 times more Vitamin K than spirulina - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid, however, spinach contains more folate. Both spinach and spirulina contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Spinach | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.189 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.724 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.065 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.195 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 194 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and spirulina are high in calcium. Spirulina has 21% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 952% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 144% more potassium than spinach - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg 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 | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5626 UG | 342 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 12198 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than spinach per 100 grams.
| Spinach | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.138 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.138 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Spinach | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 1.254 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 (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and spinach has 90% less calories than spirulina - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is spinach or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 19 times more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does spinach or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 5.5 times fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or spirulina contain more calcium?
Both spinach and spirulina are high in calcium. Spirulina has 20% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does spinach or spirulina contain more iron?
Both spinach and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 950% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does spinach or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both spinach and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 140% more potassium than spinach - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.