Sunflower Seeds vs. Spinach
Nutrition comparison of Sunflower Seeds and Spinach
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
sunflower seeds
versus
spinach
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in sunflower seeds and spinach:
- Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in calcium, dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
- Spinach has 4.6 times less carbohydrates than sunflower seed.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
- Sunflower seed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Sunflower seed is an excellent source of protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Sunflower Seeds (Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sunflower seed is high in calories and spinach has 96% less calories than sunflower seed - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 619 calories.
| Sunflower Seeds | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 40% |
| Carbohydrates | 12% | 49% |
| Fat | 77% | 10% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 4.6 times less carbohydrates than sunflower seed - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 20.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in dietary fiber. Sunflower seed has 423% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 11.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and sunflower seeds contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Sunflower seed is an excellent source of protein and it has 502% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 17.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sunflower seed is high in saturated fat and spinach has 99% less saturated fat than sunflower seed - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 19 times more Vitamin C than sunflower seed - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 1.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than sunflower seed - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spinach has more Vitamin E than sunflower seed - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has more Vitamin K than sunflower seed - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sunflower seed does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sunflower seed has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both sunflower seeds and spinach contain significant amounts of riboflavin and folate.
| Sunflower Seeds | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.325 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.285 MG | 0.189 MG |
| Niacin | 4.198 MG | 0.724 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 7.056 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.805 MG | 0.195 MG |
| Folate | 238 UG | 194 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in calcium. Spinach has 74% more calcium than sunflower seed - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 57mg of calcium.
iron
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in iron. Sunflower seed has 151% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in potassium. Spinach has 14% more potassium than sunflower seed - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 491mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both sunflower seeds and spinach contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Sunflower Seeds | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.079 G | 0.138 G |
| Total | 0.079 G | 0.138 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, sunflower seed has more linoleic acid than spinach per 100 grams.
| Sunflower Seeds | Spinach | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 37.39 G | 0.026 G |
| Total | 37.39 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: Sunflower Seeds (Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, toasted, without salt) and Spinach (Spinach, raw) .
Sunflower Seeds 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 % |
|
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 sunflower seeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Sunflower seed is high in calories and spinach has 100% less calories than sunflower seed - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and sunflower seed has 619 calories.
Is spinach or sunflower seeds better for protein?
Sunflower seed is a fantastic source of protein and it has 500% more protein than spinach - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and sunflower seed has 17.2g of protein.
Does spinach or sunflower seeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 4.6 times fewer carbohydrates than sunflower seed - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and sunflower seed has 20.6g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or sunflower seeds contain more calcium?
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in calcium. Spinach has 70% more calcium than sunflower seed - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and sunflower seed has 57mg of calcium.
Does spinach or sunflower seeds contain more iron?
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in iron. Sunflower seed has 150% more iron than spinach - spinach has 2.7mg of iron in 100 grams and sunflower seed has 6.8mg of iron.
Does spinach or sunflower seeds contain more potassium?
Both spinach and sunflower seeds are high in potassium. Spinach has 10% more potassium than sunflower seed - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and sunflower seed has 491mg of potassium.