Lettuce vs Spinach – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing lettuce to spinach, we picked the spinach.

Why?

This one came by request from a reader, who asked: “Which is better… leafy green lettuce or spinach?”

In terms of macros, spinach has more fiber, carbs, and protein, making it the winner in this round. The ratio of fiber to carbs is also better in spinach, by the way.

In the category of vitamins, lettuce has more vitamin B3, while spinach has more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, K, and choline. An overwhelming win for spinach.

Looking at minerals, lettuce is not higher in any minerals, while spinach has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. Another clear win for spinach.

When it comes to other considerations, spinach has more polyphenols (especially flavonols), which is a point in spinach’s favor, however it is also high in oxalates, which is not an issue for most people, but if you have certain kidney problems, you’ll want to avoid those.

Adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for spinach, unless you need to avoid oxalates, in which case, different leafy greens are in order.

Want to learn more?

You might like:

Make Your Vegetables Work Better Nutritionally ← one of the many things mentioned here (different things to do for different nutrients) is that cooking reduces oxalates, however if we’re comparing to lettuce, probably you wanted it in a leafy salad, not cooked. Still, information is good and useful, of course.

Enjoy!