Spinach vs. Watercress
Nutrition comparison of Spinach and Watercress
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
spinach
versus
watercress
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in spinach and watercress:
- Both spinach and watercress are high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium and potassium.
- Spinach has more niacin and folate, however, watercress contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Spinach (Spinach, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and watercress has 11 calories.
| Spinach | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 40% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 49% | 33% |
| Fat | 10% | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both spinach and watercress are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spinach is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 340% more dietary fiber than watercress - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and watercress has 0.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and watercress contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and watercress are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and watercress has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both spinach and watercress are high in Vitamin C. Watercress has 53% more Vitamin C than spinach - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and watercress has 43mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and watercress are high in Vitamin A. Spinach has 193% more Vitamin A than watercress - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and watercress has 160ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach and watercress contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and watercress has 1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Both spinach and watercress are high in Vitamin K. Spinach has 93% more Vitamin K than watercress - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and watercress has 250ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more niacin and folate, however, watercress contains more pantothenic acid. Both spinach and watercress contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Spinach | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.09 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.189 MG | 0.12 MG |
| Niacin | 0.724 MG | 0.2 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.065 MG | 0.31 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.195 MG | 0.129 MG |
| Folate | 194 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spinach and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 21% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 12 times more iron than watercress - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and watercress has 0.2mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and watercress are high in potassium. Spinach has 69% more potassium than watercress - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds, spinach has more luteolin than watercress per 100 grams, however, watercress contains more kaempferol and quercetin than spinach per 100 grams. Both spinach and watercress contain significant amounts of myricetin.
| Spinach | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.74 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 6.38 mg | 23.03 mg |
| myricetin | 0.35 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Quercetin | 3.97 mg | 29.99 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
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 | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5626 UG | 1914 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 12198 UG | 5767 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than watercress per 100 grams.
| Spinach | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.138 G | 0.023 G |
| Total | 0.138 G | 0.023 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both spinach and watercress contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Spinach | Watercress | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.012 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.012 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: Spinach (Spinach, raw) and Watercress (Watercress, raw) .
Spinach g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Watercress 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 watercress contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach and watercress contain similar amounts of calories - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and watercress has 11 calories.
Is spinach or watercress better for protein?
Spinach and watercress contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and watercress has 2.3g of protein.
Does spinach or watercress have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both spinach and watercress are low in carbohydrates - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and watercress has 1.3g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or watercress contain more calcium?
Both spinach and watercress are high in calcium. Watercress has 20% more calcium than spinach - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and watercress has 120mg of calcium.
Does spinach or watercress contain more potassium?
Both spinach and watercress are high in potassium. Spinach has 70% more potassium than watercress - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and watercress has 330mg of potassium.