Nori vs Spinach – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing nori to spinach, we picked the nori.

Why?

Spinach may be a superfood in its own right, but so is seaweed, and nori already beat famous superfood spirulina, so this victory isn’t too surprising. Let’s break it down:

In terms of macros, nori has more protein while spinach has more fiber; a tie.

In the category of vitamins, nori has more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, and C, while spinach has more of vitamins A, E, K, and choline. Yes, nori is one of the few non-animal sources of vitamin B12! It’s unlikely you’ll eat nori in sufficient quantities for it to be your only source of vitamin B12, but it’s there, whereas spinach has none. In any case, a win for nori even just by strength of numbers here.

When it comes to minerals, nori has more copper, iodine, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while spinach has more calcium, magnesium, and selenium. Iodine isn’t usually one of the minerals we compare here (since there aren’t more than trace amounts in most of the foods we compare here), but we mention it in this instance because nori is an excellent source of this important mineral that’s often lacking in many people’s diets, and while many seaweeds are too rich in iodine (containing potentially harmful megadoses if eaten in excess), 10g of nori contains a very healthy dose. Once again, another clear win for nori, by strength of numbers and by special considerations too.

As a final note, it’s worth bearing in mind that spinach has a high oxalate content (that’s not a problem for most people, but bad if you have certain kidney issues), while nori has almost none, and furthermore contains chemicals that actually reduce kidney stone risk. So that’s another point in nori’s favor.

Adding up the sections makes for an overall win for nori, but by all means enjoy either or both (unless you have kidney problems), as spinach is very nutritionally dense too; it just doesn’t look it when standing next to nori!

Want to learn more?

You might like:

A Deeper Dive Into Seaweed ← this is about various kinds of seaweed, albeit with a focus on nori

…and also:

21% Stronger Bones in a Year at 62? Yes, It’s Possible (No Calcium Supplements Needed!) ← nori was an important part of the diet enjoyed here

Enjoy!