Arugula vs Spinach – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing arugula to spinach, we picked the spinach.

Why?

Both are great, but there’s a clear winner here:

In terms of macros, spinach has more fiber and protein for the same carbs, scoring an easy first-round win.

In the category of vitamins, arugula has more vitamin B5 (that is, the vitamin that’s in nearly all foods and in which it’s almost impossible to be deficient unless literally starving to death), while spinach has more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and K, winning its second round convincingly.

Looking at minerals, arugula’s a little higher in calcium, while spinach has more copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, and zinc, for another clear win.

In other considerations, spinach is much higher in oxalates, which is a non-issue for most people, but if you have certain kidney disorders, you might want to avoid those, so it’s worth knowing.

In any case, adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for spinach, but by all means enjoy either or both, unless you need to avoid oxalates, in which case, arugula is on the menu for you!

Want to learn more?

You might like:

Make Your Vegetables Work Better Nutritionally ← there are a lot of tips here for many kinds of foods and kinds of cooking/preparation, including that cooking (any kind) reduces oxalates by breaking them down; not so useful if you want a leafy salad, but good for other purposes!

Enjoy!