Nutrition Faceoff: Kale vs. Spinach

We often talk about including plenty of dark green leafy vegetables in your diet. For this month’s nutrition faceoff, we take a closer look at two popular dark leafy  greens – kale and spinach – to see whether there is a clear winner.

Nutrition Faceoff: Kale vs. Spinach

Nutrition Faceoff: Kale vs. Spinach – Dietitian’s Take

While these two vegetables are both great choices, here are some highlights:

• Kale has more calories per 100 g serving than spinach. It should be noted that both vegetables are still very low-cal choices.
• Kale has higher levels of fiber, calcium, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K than spinach. However, spinach has higher levels of iron, magnesium, potassium, and folate. Both vegetables contain comparable amounts of Vitamin A.
• In addition to antioxidant vitamins (A and C), both vegetables are also rich sources of antioxidant phytonutrients such as lutein and beta-carotene. Spinach is higher in lutein and zeaxanthin, while kale is higher in beta-carotene.

Our Pick: It’s A Tie!

With so many nutrients packed into so few calories, you cannot go wrong choosing either one of these green leafy vegetables and including them regularly in your diet. Keep in mind that some water-soluble nutrients are lost to cooking liquid, and some phytonutrients are affected by heat. If you choose to cook your leafy greens, do so with minimal liquid (such as steaming or quick sauteing instead of boiling) and keep cooking time short.

Sofia Layarda, MPH

Alumni: University of California, Berkeley – Sofia believes in bringing back fun and pleasure into everyday eating. She loves cooking, and is constantly experimenting with ingredients, creating recipes and trying them out on family and friends. Her latest interest lies in finding realistic and practical ways of environmentally-friendly food/eating habits.