Food comparison · USDA values
Kale vs Spinach: Calories & Nutrition Compared
Quick answer
Per 100 g, Spinach has fewer calories than Kale (23 vs 35 kcal); protein is about the same (2.9 vs 2.9 g).
Side by side per 100 g
Equal weights, so the columns compare the foods themselves. The last column shows which food has more, and stays at "About the same" when the gap is too small to matter.
| Per 100 g | Kale | Spinach | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 35 kcal | 23 kcal | Kale +12 kcal |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 8.3 g | 12.4 g | Spinach +4.1 g |
| Protein | 2.9 g | 2.9 g | About the same |
| Carbs | 4.4 g | 3.6 g | About the same |
| Fat | 1.5 g | 0.4 g | Kale +1.1 g |
| Fiber | 4.1 g | 2.2 g | Kale +1.9 g |
| Sugars | 1 g | 0.4 g | Both low in sugars |
| Sodium | 53 mg | 79 mg | Spinach +26 mg |
- Protein 27% · 2.9 g
- Carbs 41% · 4.4 g
- Fat 32% · 1.5 g
- Protein 39% · 2.9 g
- Carbs 49% · 3.6 g
- Fat 12% · 0.4 g
Per portion
One USDA household portion of each food. The portions weigh different amounts, so this is the comparison for what ends up on the plate.
| Food | Portion | Weight | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kale | 1 cup | 21 g | 7 kcal | 0.6 g | 0.9 g | 0.3 g |
| Spinach | 1 cup | 30 g | 7 kcal | 0.9 g | 1.1 g | 0.1 g |
The difference, worked out
- Kale has more calories per 100 g than Spinach: 35 vs 23 kcal, a difference of 12 kcal.
- Kale and Spinach have about the same protein per 100 g: 2.9 vs 2.9 g.
- Kale and Spinach have about the same carbs per 100 g: 4.4 vs 3.6 g.
- Kale has more fat per 100 g than Spinach: 1.5 vs 0.4 g, a difference of 1.1 g.
- Kale has more fiber per 100 g than Spinach: 4.1 vs 2.2 g, a difference of 1.9 g.
- Spinach gives more protein for the same calories: 12.4 vs 8.3 g per 100 kcal, a difference of 4.1 g.
- Kale and Spinach have about the same calories per portion: 7 vs 7 kcal (the two portions weigh different amounts).
- Kale and Spinach have about the same protein per portion: 0.6 vs 0.9 g (the two portions weigh different amounts).
Every figure is computed from the two foods' USDA values, rounded as printed above. A difference is stated only when it is at least 10% of the larger value and clears a small minimum for the nutrient, so tiny gaps are not dressed up as findings.
Our take
Kale has more calories, fat and fiber per 100 g than spinach, while protein is the same. Spinach is the lighter leaf by weight, though neither moves a day's total much at the amounts people eat in a meal.
If you are swapping one for the other, compare by the amount you actually eat, which is the per-portion table above, not only the per-100 g table: the two foods are rarely eaten by the same weight.
Full amount tables, portions and every nutrient: see Kale and Spinach.
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Start free on the webValues are USDA averages for the foods as described on their pages; a single piece varies with variety, ripeness and preparation. This is general information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, under 18 or managing a health condition, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing how you eat.
Source: USDA FoodData Central, Kale (FDC 168421) and Spinach (FDC 168462). How we calculate.