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Cabbage vs. Spinach — Nutrition Comparison and Health Impact

Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan by Ani Harutyunyan | Last updated on June 28, 2023
Medically reviewed by Victoria Mazmanyan Article author photo Victoria Mazmanyan
Cabbage
vs
Spinach raw

Summary

Cabbage is nearly 2 times higher in carbohydrates, mostly due to net carbs. Spinach is relatively higher in protein.

Spinach is a better source of most minerals and vitamins, providing 7 times more copper and magnesium, 3 times more potassium, 96 times more vitamin A, and 14 times more vitamin E.

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
    1. Taste and Appearance
      1. Nutrition
        1. Macronutrients
          1. Carbs
          2. Dietary Fiber
          3. Net Carbs
          4. Proteins
          5. Fats
        2. Calories
          1. Vitamins
            1. Minerals
            2. Health impact
              1. Blood Pressure Management
                1. Antioxidants
                2. References

                  Introduction

                  Being members of different plant families, cabbage and spinach have a lot of differences. While these vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, spinach and cabbage differ in nutrient content. This article will discuss the general and nutritional differences, along with the health impacts of raw cabbage and raw spinach (1, 2).

                  Taste and Appearance

                  Cabbage belongs to the genus Brassica and can come in red, white, green, and purplish colors. It usually has a peppery taste but a sweet flavor when cooked. Cabbage is native to Western Europe.

                  Spinach comes from southwest Asia. It belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family. Spinach leaves are considerably smaller compared to cabbage leaves. They are usually green. Spinach tends to have a bitter taste.

                  Nutrition

                  The nutritional infographics below are presented for 100g servings of raw cabbage and lettuce.

                  Macronutrients

                  Macronutrient Comparison

                  Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
                  6% 92%
                  Protein: 1.28 g
                  Fats: 0.1 g
                  Carbs: 5.8 g
                  Water: 92.18 g
                  Other: 0.64 g
                  3% 4% 91% 2%
                  Protein: 2.86 g
                  Fats: 0.39 g
                  Carbs: 3.63 g
                  Water: 91.4 g
                  Other: 1.72 g
                  Contains more CarbsCarbs +59.8%
                  Contains more ProteinProtein +123.4%
                  Contains more FatsFats +290%
                  Contains more OtherOther +168.8%
                  ~equal in Water ~91.4g

                  Carbs

                  Cabbage has more carbs than spinach. Cabbage has 5.8g of carbohydrates per 100g, while spinach has 3.63g. Furthermore, spinach has almost 8 times less sugar than cabbage. Spinach also contains nearly 15 times less glucose and 10 times less fructose.

                  Carbohydrate type comparison

                  Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
                  2% 52% 45%
                  Starch: 0 g
                  Sucrose: 0.08 g
                  Glucose: 1.67 g
                  Fructose: 1.45 g
                  Lactose: 0 g
                  Maltose: 0.01 g
                  Galactose: 0 g
                  16% 26% 35% 23%
                  Starch: 0 g
                  Sucrose: 0.07 g
                  Glucose: 0.11 g
                  Fructose: 0.15 g
                  Lactose: 0 g
                  Maltose: 0 g
                  Galactose: 0.1 g
                  Contains more SucroseSucrose +14.3%
                  Contains more GlucoseGlucose +1418.2%
                  Contains more FructoseFructose +866.7%
                  Contains more MaltoseMaltose +∞%
                  Contains more GalactoseGalactose +∞%
                  ~equal in Starch ~0g
                  ~equal in Lactose ~0g

                  Dietary Fiber

                  Cabbage and spinach provide nearly the same amount of fiber. Cabbage is usually higher in soluble fiber, while spinach contains more insoluble fiber.

                  Net Carbs

                  Net carbs are the carbohydrates in food used to synthesize energy. Subtract the amount of fiber from the total carbs in the food to get the net carb amount.

                  Cabbage provides 5.8 grams of carbs and 2.5 grams of fiber. On the other hand, spinach provides 3.63 grams of carbohydrates and 2.2 grams of fiber per 100g serving. Cabbage has 3.3 grams of net carbs, whereas spinach has 1.43 grams. Hence, spinach has a lower net carb content.

                  Proteins

                  Vegetables are generally not considered protein sources, but they contain some amounts of proteins. Spinach provides over 2 times more protein than cabbage. It contains 2.86g per 100g, compared to 1.28g in cabbage.

                  Fats

                  Fats are not found in cabbage or spinach in considerable quantities. Cabbage has 0.1 grams of fat per 100 grams of vegetable, whereas spinach has 0.39 grams. 

                  The two vegetables do not contain a significant amount.

                  Fat Type Comparison

                  Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
                  50% 25% 25%
                  Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.034 g
                  Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.017 g
                  Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.017 g
                  26% 4% 69%
                  Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.063 g
                  Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.01 g
                  Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.165 g
                  Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -46%
                  Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +70%
                  Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +870.6%

                  Calories

                  Cabbage and spinach have almost similar amounts of calories, both being very low-calorie foods. However, cabbage has 25 calories per 100g of vegetable, compared to 23 for spinach.

                  Vitamins

                  Vitamins are abundant in vegetables such as cabbage and spinach.

                  Spinach is a better source of most vitamins. Spinach offers significantly more vitamin A than cabbage, with 9377IU per 100g compared to 98IU in cabbage. It contains almost 14 times more vitamin E and 4 times more vitamin B9 or folate.

                  Spinach is also richer in vitamins K, B1, B2, B3, and B6.  

                  That being said, cabbage is 3 times higher in vitamin B5 and somewhat richer in vitamin C.

                  For more detailed information, check the vitamin comparison chart below.

                  Vitamin Comparison

                  Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
                  Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 122% 5.9% 3% 0% 15% 9.2% 4.4% 13% 29% 0% 190% 32% 5.8%
                  Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 94% 563% 41% 0% 20% 44% 14% 3.9% 45% 0% 1207% 146% 11%
                  Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +30.2%
                  Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +226.2%
                  Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +9468.4%
                  Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +1253.3%
                  Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +27.9%
                  Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +372.5%
                  Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +209.4%
                  Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +57.3%
                  Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +535.4%
                  Contains more FolateFolate +351.2%
                  Contains more CholineCholine +80.4%
                  ~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
                  ~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

                  A 100g serving of spinach covers the daily need for vitamin A by 188% and for vitamin K by 402%. At the same time, the same serving of cabbage provides 41% of the daily required vitamin C amount.

                  Minerals

                  Spinach is the absolute winner in this section.

                  Spinach provides 7 times more copper and magnesium, 6 times more iron and manganese, and 3 times more potassium. Spinach is also richer in selenium, calcium, zinc, and phosphorus.

                  However, cabbage contains almost 2 times less sodium.

                  Mineral Comparison

                  Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
                  Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 8.6% 12% 15% 18% 6.3% 4.9% 11% 2.3% 21% 1.6%
                  Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 56% 30% 49% 102% 43% 14% 21% 10% 117% 5.5%
                  Contains less SodiumSodium -77.2%
                  Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +558.3%
                  Contains more CalciumCalcium +147.5%
                  Contains more PotassiumPotassium +228.2%
                  Contains more IronIron +476.6%
                  Contains more CopperCopper +584.2%
                  Contains more ZincZinc +194.4%
                  Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +88.5%
                  Contains more ManganeseManganese +460.6%
                  Contains more SeleniumSelenium +233.3%

                  Health impact

                  Blood Pressure Management

                  High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Cabbage and spinach can be beneficial for blood pressure management.

                  Because potassium lessens the effects of sodium, foods high in potassium can be important for treating high blood pressure. The more potassium is consumed, the more salt is lost through the urine. Additionally, potassium helps to reduce blood vessel wall tension, which further lowers blood pressure (3).

                  In otherwise healthy persons with blood pressure over 120/80 mmHg, increasing potassium through diet is advised (3). 

                  Cabbage, especially the red variety of it, is an excellent source of potassium and may help keep blood pressure in a healthy range. However, spinach falls in the top 11% of foods as a source of potassium, providing 16% of the daily needed value for this mineral per 100g.

                  Spinach consumption has shown blood pressure-lowering properties (4). This is also due to the high amounts of nitrate contained in spinach (5).

                  Antioxidants

                  Harmful free oxygen radicals can cause oxidative stress and harm cells and tissues. As a result, oxidative stress may cause cardiovascular disease, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease (7, 8). Antioxidants are chemicals that help to neutralize this effect (6). Cabbage and spinach are both high in antioxidants. These two vegetables play different roles in the organism's antioxidant defense.

                  Spinach consumption is linked with DNA stabilization during oxidative stress (9). This is due to the carotenoid or vitamin A content of spinach (10).

                  Cabbage is high in vitamin C, which is a potent antioxidant that can protect the organism against heart disease and some cancers (11, 12).

                  References

                  1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169975/nutrients
                  2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168462/nutrients
                  3. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/how-potassium-can-help-control-high-blood-pressure
                  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22019438/
                  5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271531715001359
                  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684512/
                  7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28230726/
                  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4307252/
                  9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21384253/
                  10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12111045/
                  11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18277182/
                  12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4559762/
                  Article author photo Ani Harutyunyan
                  Education: General Medicine at YSMU
                  Last updated: June 28, 2023
                  Medically reviewed by Victoria Mazmanyan

                  Infographic

                  Cabbage vs Spinach raw infographic
                  Infographic link

                  Comparison summary table

                  Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
                  Cabbage Spinach raw
                  Lower in Sugar ok
                  Lower in Glycemic Index ok
                  Rich in minerals ok
                  Rich in vitamins ok
                  Lower in Sodium ok
                  Lower in Saturated Fat ok
                  Lower in Cholesterol Equal
                  Lower in price Equal

                  All nutrients comparison - raw data values

                  Nutrient Cabbage Spinach raw Opinion
                  Calories 25kcal 23kcal Cabbage
                  Protein 1.28g 2.86g Spinach raw
                  Fats 0.1g 0.39g Spinach raw
                  Vitamin C 36.6mg 28.1mg Cabbage
                  Net carbs 3.3g 1.43g Cabbage
                  Carbs 5.8g 3.63g Cabbage
                  Magnesium 12mg 79mg Spinach raw
                  Calcium 40mg 99mg Spinach raw
                  Potassium 170mg 558mg Spinach raw
                  Iron 0.47mg 2.71mg Spinach raw
                  Sugar 3.2g 0.42g Spinach raw
                  Fiber 2.5g 2.2g Cabbage
                  Copper 0.019mg 0.13mg Spinach raw
                  Zinc 0.18mg 0.53mg Spinach raw
                  Phosphorus 26mg 49mg Spinach raw
                  Sodium 18mg 79mg Cabbage
                  Vitamin A 98IU 9377IU Spinach raw
                  Vitamin A 5µg 469µg Spinach raw
                  Vitamin E 0.15mg 2.03mg Spinach raw
                  Manganese 0.16mg 0.897mg Spinach raw
                  Selenium 0.3µg 1µg Spinach raw
                  Vitamin B1 0.061mg 0.078mg Spinach raw
                  Vitamin B2 0.04mg 0.189mg Spinach raw
                  Vitamin B3 0.234mg 0.724mg Spinach raw
                  Vitamin B5 0.212mg 0.065mg Cabbage
                  Vitamin B6 0.124mg 0.195mg Spinach raw
                  Vitamin K 76µg 482.9µg Spinach raw
                  Folate 43µg 194µg Spinach raw
                  Choline 10.7mg 19.3mg Spinach raw
                  Saturated Fat 0.034g 0.063g Cabbage
                  Monounsaturated Fat 0.017g 0.01g Cabbage
                  Polyunsaturated fat 0.017g 0.165g Spinach raw
                  Tryptophan 0.011mg 0.039mg Spinach raw
                  Threonine 0.035mg 0.122mg Spinach raw
                  Isoleucine 0.03mg 0.147mg Spinach raw
                  Leucine 0.041mg 0.223mg Spinach raw
                  Lysine 0.044mg 0.174mg Spinach raw
                  Methionine 0.012mg 0.053mg Spinach raw
                  Phenylalanine 0.032mg 0.129mg Spinach raw
                  Valine 0.042mg 0.161mg Spinach raw
                  Histidine 0.022mg 0.064mg Spinach raw
                  Fructose 1.45g 0.15g Cabbage

                  Which food is preferable for your diet?

                  ok
                  ok
                  is better in case of low diet
                  Cabbage Spinach raw
                  Low Calories diet ok
                  Low Fats diet ok
                  Low Carbs diet ok
                  Low Glycemic Index diet ok

                  Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

                  The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
                  Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
                  33%
                  Cabbage
                  168%
                  Spinach raw
                  Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
                  10%
                  Cabbage
                  45%
                  Spinach raw

                  Comparison summary

                  Which food is lower in Sugar?
                  Spinach raw
                  Spinach raw is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.78g)
                  Which food is lower in glycemic index?
                  Spinach raw
                  Spinach raw is lower in glycemic index (difference - 32)
                  Which food is richer in minerals?
                  Spinach raw
                  Spinach raw is relatively richer in minerals
                  Which food is richer in vitamins?
                  Spinach raw
                  Spinach raw is relatively richer in vitamins
                  Which food contains less Sodium?
                  Cabbage
                  Cabbage contains less Sodium (difference - 61mg)
                  Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
                  Cabbage
                  Cabbage is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.029g)
                  Which food contains less Cholesterol?
                  ?
                  The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
                  Which food is cheaper?
                  ?
                  The foods are relatively equal in price ($0.2)

                  References

                  All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

                  1. Cabbage - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169975/nutrients
                  2. Spinach raw - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168462/nutrients

                  All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

                  Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.