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  6. Spinach vs. Watercress

Spinach vs. Watercress — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are Spinach and Watercress different?

  • Spinach is higher in Vitamin K, Iron, Vitamin A RAE, Folate, Manganese, Magnesium, Copper, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B6, however, Watercress is richer in Vitamin C.
  • Daily need coverage for Vitamin K from Spinach is 203% higher.
  • Spinach contains 18 times more Iron than Watercress. While Spinach contains 3.57mg of Iron, Watercress contains only 0.2mg.

Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt and Watercress, raw are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Spinach vs Watercress infographic
Infographic link

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.
Spinach
Spinach
8
:
2
Watercress
Watercress
Contains more Calcium +13.3%
Contains more Iron +1685%
Contains more Magnesium +314.3%
Contains more Potassium +41.2%
Contains more Zinc +590.9%
Contains more Copper +126%
Contains more Manganese +283.2%
Contains more Selenium +66.7%
Contains less Sodium -41.4%
Equal in Phosphorus - 60
Spinach
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 41% 134% 63% 24% 42% 10% 21% 58% 122% 9%
Watercress
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 36% 8% 15% 26% 30% 6% 3% 26% 32% 5%
Contains more Calcium +13.3%
Contains more Iron +1685%
Contains more Magnesium +314.3%
Contains more Potassium +41.2%
Contains more Zinc +590.9%
Contains more Copper +126%
Contains more Manganese +283.2%
Contains more Selenium +66.7%
Contains less Sodium -41.4%
Equal in Phosphorus - 60

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.
Spinach
Spinach
8
:
2
Watercress
Watercress
Contains more Vitamin A +228.5%
Contains more Vitamin E +108%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +96.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +145%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +87.6%
Contains more Folate +1522.2%
Contains more Vitamin K +97.4%
Contains more Vitamin C +338.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +113.8%
Equal in Vitamin B1 - 0.09
Spinach
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 629% 42% 0% 33% 24% 55% 10% 9% 56% 110% 0% 1234%
Watercress
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 192% 20% 0% 144% 23% 28% 4% 19% 30% 7% 0% 625%
Contains more Vitamin A +228.5%
Contains more Vitamin E +108%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +96.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +145%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +87.6%
Contains more Folate +1522.2%
Contains more Vitamin K +97.4%
Contains more Vitamin C +338.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +113.8%
Equal in Vitamin B1 - 0.09

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Spinach
Spinach
4
:
1
Watercress
Watercress
Contains more Protein +29.1%
Contains more Fats +160%
Contains more Carbs +190.7%
Contains more Other +50.8%
Equal in Water - 95.11
Spinach
3% 4% 91% 2%
Protein: 2.97 g
Fats: 0.26 g
Carbs: 3.75 g
Water: 91.21 g
Other: 1.81 g
Watercress
2% 95%
Protein: 2.3 g
Fats: 0.1 g
Carbs: 1.29 g
Water: 95.11 g
Other: 1.2 g
Contains more Protein +29.1%
Contains more Fats +160%
Contains more Carbs +190.7%
Contains more Other +50.8%
Equal in Water - 95.11

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Spinach
Spinach
1
:
2
Watercress
Watercress
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +211.4%
Contains less Saturated Fat -37.2%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +33.3%
Spinach
27% 4% 69%
Saturated Fat: 0.043 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.006 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.109 g
Watercress
39% 11% 50%
Saturated Fat: 0.027 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.008 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.035 g
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +211.4%
Contains less Saturated Fat -37.2%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +33.3%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Spinach Watercress Opinion
Net carbs 1.35g 0.79g Spinach
Protein 2.97g 2.3g Spinach
Fats 0.26g 0.1g Spinach
Carbs 3.75g 1.29g Spinach
Calories 23kcal 11kcal Spinach
Sugar 0.43g 0.2g Watercress
Fiber 2.4g 0.5g Spinach
Calcium 136mg 120mg Spinach
Iron 3.57mg 0.2mg Spinach
Magnesium 87mg 21mg Spinach
Phosphorus 56mg 60mg Watercress
Potassium 466mg 330mg Spinach
Sodium 70mg 41mg Watercress
Zinc 0.76mg 0.11mg Spinach
Copper 0.174mg 0.077mg Spinach
Manganese 0.935mg 0.244mg Spinach
Selenium 1.5µg 0.9µg Spinach
Vitamin A 10481IU 3191IU Spinach
Vitamin A RAE 524µg 160µg Spinach
Vitamin E 2.08mg 1mg Spinach
Vitamin C 9.8mg 43mg Watercress
Vitamin B1 0.095mg 0.09mg Spinach
Vitamin B2 0.236mg 0.12mg Spinach
Vitamin B3 0.49mg 0.2mg Spinach
Vitamin B5 0.145mg 0.31mg Watercress
Vitamin B6 0.242mg 0.129mg Spinach
Folate 146µg 9µg Spinach
Vitamin K 493.6µg 250µg Spinach
Tryptophan 0.04mg 0.03mg Spinach
Threonine 0.127mg 0.133mg Watercress
Isoleucine 0.152mg 0.093mg Spinach
Leucine 0.231mg 0.166mg Spinach
Lysine 0.182mg 0.134mg Spinach
Methionine 0.055mg 0.02mg Spinach
Phenylalanine 0.134mg 0.114mg Spinach
Valine 0.168mg 0.137mg Spinach
Histidine 0.066mg 0.04mg Spinach
Saturated Fat 0.043g 0.027g Watercress
Monounsaturated Fat 0.006g 0.008g Watercress
Polyunsaturated fat 0.109g 0.035g Spinach

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Spinach Watercress
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet Equal

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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
183%
Spinach
91%
Watercress
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
52%
Spinach
18%
Watercress

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Watercress
Watercress is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.23g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Watercress
Watercress contains less Sodium (difference - 29mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Watercress
Watercress is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.016g)
Which food is cheaper?
Watercress
Watercress is cheaper (difference - $0.2)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Spinach
Spinach is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Spinach
Spinach is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
?
The foods have equal glycemic indexes (32)

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. Spinach - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168463/nutrients
  2. Watercress - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170068/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.