Spinach Nutrition: Raw vs Cooked

Spinach is a very low-calorie leafy green that’s rich in vitamin K and folate and also provides vitamin C, potassium, iron and calcium. Per 100 g raw, it has 23 calories, 483 mcg of vitamin K and 194 mcg of folate, according to USDA FoodData Central. Raw and cooked spinach are both good choices: cooking shrinks it, so you eat more leaves, but it loses some vitamin C and folate. Its iron and calcium are absorbed less well than from other foods.

Spinach nutrition: raw vs cooked

Per 100 g, from USDA FoodData Central:

Two things stand out. Boiling loses about two-thirds of the vitamin C and around a quarter of the folate, which leach into the water. But some minerals look higher in cooked spinach, because cooking removes water and concentrates what’s left in each 100 g. Spinach also shrinks a lot when cooked, so a cooked portion contains far more leaves than a raw one.

How much vitamin K and folate is that?

100 g of raw spinach provides several times the daily vitamin K that the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements recommends for adults (90 mcg for women and 120 mcg for men). It also provides about half of the 400 mcg of folate the US recommends for most adults, according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

Iron and calcium in spinach: the catch

Spinach is famous for iron, but the iron in plant foods is absorbed less well than iron from meat. The NHS also notes that spinach isn’t a good source of calcium, because the body can’t absorb all of it. That’s because spinach is high in oxalate, which binds to calcium.

To get more iron from spinach, eat it with a food rich in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, peppers or a squeeze of lemon, as the NHS suggests for plant sources of iron. Our guide to iron-rich foods explains more.

Raw or cooked: which is better?

Both have a place:

• Raw spinach keeps more vitamin C and folate. Baby spinach is ideal for salads, sandwiches and smoothies.
• Cooked spinach shrinks down, so it’s easy to eat a large amount. Stir it into curries, soups, pasta sauces and eggs.
• Cook it briefly: wilting spinach in a pan for a minute or two, or stirring it into a dish at the end, uses little water, which helps keep more of the water-soluble vitamins than long boiling.

Who should be careful with spinach

• If you take warfarin: spinach is very high in vitamin K. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says people on warfarin should keep their vitamin K intake about the same each day. You don’t have to avoid spinach, but eat a steady amount and talk to your doctor before a big change.
• If you’ve had kidney stones: spinach is one of the high-oxalate foods the NIDDK says people who form calcium oxalate stones may want to limit. Ask your doctor what type of stone you had.
• If you have kidney disease: spinach is high in potassium, about 558 mg per 100 g raw. Follow your kidney team’s advice.

How to buy and store spinach

Choose bright green, crisp leaves without yellow patches or slimy spots. Store it in the fridge in its bag or a container lined with paper towel to absorb moisture, and use it within a few days. Frozen spinach is a cheap, convenient option for cooking, with no washing needed.

Wash loose spinach well in a bowl of cold water, because grit hides in the leaves. Bagged spinach labelled “ready to eat” or “washed” can be used as it is.

8 easy ways to eat more spinach

1. Wilt a handful into scrambled eggs or an omelet.
2. Use baby spinach as the base of a salad, with strawberries or citrus.
3. Stir into soups, stews and curries at the end. Our chickpea curry includes it.
4. Blend into a fruit smoothie, where the taste disappears.
5. Layer into lasagna or stir into pasta sauce.
6. Sauté with garlic and olive oil as a quick side.
7. Add to sandwiches and wraps instead of lettuce.
8. Mix chopped frozen spinach into meatballs, burgers or savory muffins.

Spinach compared with other greens

Per 100 g raw, spinach has more folate than kale (194 mcg vs 62 mcg), while kale has more vitamin C (93 mg vs 28 mg) and fiber (4.1 g vs 2.2 g), according to USDA FoodData Central. Our guide to green foods compares a range of leafy greens, and our guide to leafy greens and inflammation explains what the research shows.

Common questions

Is it safe to eat spinach every day?

For most people, yes. Spinach is low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals. Vary your greens through the week, and take care if you take warfarin, have had calcium oxalate kidney stones or have kidney disease, as explained above.

Does cooking spinach destroy its nutrients?

Cooking reduces some nutrients and not others. Boiling lost about two-thirds of the vitamin C and a quarter of the folate in the USDA figures above, but cooked spinach still provides plenty of vitamin K, and you can eat much more of it in one portion. Quick wilting, or adding it to soups and stews where you eat the liquid, helps.

Is baby spinach different from regular spinach?

Baby spinach is harvested younger, so the leaves are smaller and more tender, with a milder flavor. It’s ideal raw. Mature spinach has thicker leaves and stems and is better cooked. Nutritionally they’re similar.

What’s the best way to store cooked spinach?

Cool it quickly, refrigerate it and eat it within 3 to 4 days, like other cooked leftovers.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.