Spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense leafy greens available, and the Spinach Nutrition Calculator helps you turn any serving size into a clear breakdown of calories, macros, and micronutrients. Whether you’re meal-prepping, counting calories, or trying to hit your daily vitamin K or iron goals, this tool does the math using USDA reference values for raw spinach.
Simply enter the amount of spinach you’re using — grams, ounces, cups raw, or cups cooked — and the calculator instantly estimates calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and fat. Toggle on the micronutrient section to see vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium for the same serving.
It’s ideal for nutrition students double-checking serving data, home cooks building balanced recipes, and anyone tracking nutrients who wants a more accurate alternative to rough guesses.
🥫 Spinach Nutrition Calculator
Step-by-Step Guide
Enter the amount of spinach you plan to eat or cook with in the first field, then choose a unit from the dropdown. The calculator accepts four ways of measuring spinach: grams, ounces, cups of raw leaves, and cups of cooked spinach. If the micronutrient checkbox is left on, you'll also receive a full vitamin and mineral panel for the same serving.
- Weigh your spinach. A digital kitchen scale gives the most reliable numbers, especially because raw spinach is very light and a few extra leaves can change the total.
- Pick the matching unit. Cups of raw spinach are much lighter than cups of cooked spinach because cooking collapses the leaves. This calculator uses 1 cup raw = 30 g and 1 cup cooked = 180 g.
- Click “Calculate Nutrition”. The result card shows calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, and fat. The micronutrient grid appears when the optional toggle is enabled.
- Read the breakdown. Below the nutrient grid is a short step-by-step note showing how your serving was converted and scaled.
Nutrition Facts & Formula Explained
This calculator is built on USDA FoodData Central values for raw spinach. The formula behind every nutrient is simple: multiply the per-100-gram reference value by your serving weight divided by 100. If you eat 150 g of raw spinach, each nutrient value is multiplied by 150 / 100 = 1.5.
Weight is far more dependable than volume. A loosely packed cup of raw spinach might weigh 20 g, while a firmly packed cup can weigh 35 g, so volume-based estimates can be off by 40% or more. When a recipe only gives cups, the calculator’s cup options are a useful estimate, but using grams will always be more accurate.
Worked Examples
Standard Reference Values Per 100 g
The table below shows the values used by the calculator. Daily-value percentages are approximate and based on standard adult labels.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Approx. % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 23 kcal | 1% |
| Protein | 2.86 g | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.63 g | 1% |
| Fiber | 2.2 g | 8% |
| Sugars | 0.42 g | — |
| Fat | 0.39 g | 1% |
| Vitamin A RAE | 469 mcg | 52% |
| Vitamin C | 28.1 mg | 31% |
| Vitamin K | 482.9 mcg | 402% |
| Folate | 194 mcg | 49% |
| Iron | 2.71 mg | 15% |
| Calcium | 99 mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 558 mg | 12% |
| Magnesium | 79 mg | 19% |
DV percentages are rounded and will vary with energy needs.
Tips for Getting the Most from Spinach
- Don’t forget the oxalates. Spinach is rich in oxalic acid, which can bind calcium and iron and reduce their absorption. Pairing spinach with vitamin C, such as lemon juice or strawberries, can help improve iron absorption.
- Consider cooking for volume. One cup of cooked spinach delivers several times more nutrients than one cup of raw leaves simply because it is far denser.
- Steam instead of boil. Boiling leaches water-soluble vitamins into the cooking water. Light steaming or a quick sauté preserves more vitamin C and folate.
- Store it dry. Keep raw spinach unwashed in a breathable bag lined with paper towel to slow wilting and nutrient loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cooked spinach more nutritious than raw spinach?
Cooking does not create new nutrients, but it changes the picture in two ways. A cup of cooked spinach contains far more spinach by weight than a cup of raw leaves, so the nutrient totals are higher. At the same time, heat and water can reduce heat-sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C and folate. Minerals like potassium, calcium, and iron are generally retained, and oxalates are partially broken down, which can improve mineral absorption.
Why is spinach so high in vitamin K?
Spinach is one of the most concentrated plant sources of vitamin K, a fat-soluble vitamin important for normal blood clotting and bone health. A 30 g cup of raw leaves supplies roughly 145 mcg, above the 120 mcg daily value. Tracking this number can be especially useful if you take medication affected by vitamin K.
Can I use this for baby spinach or frozen spinach?
Baby spinach has a similar composition to mature spinach per 100 g, so gram-based results will be close. Frozen spinach is blanched before freezing, which lowers some water-soluble vitamins and changes water content. For frozen spinach, weigh the thawed and drained portion and use grams. If you are combining several ingredients, the Salad Calorie Calculator can help you see the whole meal.