Spinach Macros: Complete Nutrition Facts & Calories

Spinach is the ultimate macro-friendly vegetable—7 calories per cup with nearly zero carbs and packed with vitamins and minerals. You can eat massive amounts of spinach without affecting your calorie or carb budget, making it perfect for volume eating on any diet.

This guide covers spinach macros so you can maximize this nutritional powerhouse.

Spinach Macros: Quick Reference

Here’s the complete spinach nutrition breakdown:

Serving	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fiber	Net Carbs
1 cup raw (30g)	7	0.9g	1.1g	0.7g	0.4g
2 cups raw (60g)	14	1.8g	2.2g	1.4g	0.8g
1 cup cooked (180g)	41	5.3g	6.8g	4.3g	2.5g
100g raw	23	2.9g	3.6g	2.2g	1.4g
1 oz raw (28g)	6	0.8g	1g	0.6g	0.4g

Key insight: Raw spinach is essentially free food from a macro perspective. Even 5 cups is only 35 calories.

Raw vs. Cooked Spinach

Cooking dramatically changes spinach volume:

Form	Amount	Calories	Net Carbs
Raw	1 cup	7	0.4g
Cooked	1 cup	41	2.5g
Raw equivalent of 1 cup cooked	~6 cups	41	2.4g

What this means: 1 cup cooked spinach = 6 cups raw spinach nutritionally. When tracking, note whether you’re measuring raw or cooked.

Understanding Macronutrients

Spinach is extremely low in all macros while being micronutrient-dense. To understand how this fits your nutrition, learn about what macronutrients are.

Spinach vs. Other Leafy Greens

Green (1 cup raw)	Calories	Net Carbs	Protein
Spinach	7	0.4g	0.9g
Kale	33	5.4g	2.2g
Romaine	8	0.7g	0.6g
Arugula	5	0.4g	0.5g
Mixed greens	9	0.8g	0.7g

Spinach is among the lowest-calorie greens with good micronutrient density.

How Spinach Fits Different Diets

Keto and Low-Carb

Spinach is a keto superfood:

• Virtually zero net carbs (0.4g per cup raw)
• Eat unlimited amounts
• Perfect base for salads
• Adds volume without carbs

Calorie Deficit / Weight Loss

Spinach is perfect for volume eating:

• 7 calories per cup—essentially free
• High fiber promotes fullness
• Add to any meal for bulk
• Makes portions look bigger

Volume eating tip: Add 2-3 cups spinach to meals to increase size without calories.

High-Protein Diets

While spinach isn’t high-protein, it:

• Adds nutrients without crowding protein foods
• Works as a base for high-protein meals
• Provides iron (pair with vitamin C for absorption)

Flexible Dieting

Spinach fits flexible dieting as a free food—track it if you’re precise, but most people don’t bother counting spinach calories.

Meal Ideas with Spinach

Giant Salad (150 cal, 15g protein, 10g carbs, 6g fat)

• 3 cups spinach: 21 cal
• 3 oz grilled chicken: 100 cal
• 1 oz feta: 30 cal
• Balsamic dressing (1 tbsp): 15 cal

Protein Smoothie (280 cal, 30g protein, 25g carbs, 4g fat)

• 2 cups spinach: 14 cal
• 1 scoop protein powder: 120 cal
• 1 banana: 105 cal
• 1 cup water
• Can’t taste the spinach!

Sautéed Spinach Side (80 cal, 6g protein, 5g carbs, 5g fat)

• 6 cups raw spinach (cooks to 1 cup): 41 cal
• 1 tsp olive oil: 40 cal
• Garlic, salt, pepper

Egg White Scramble (120 cal, 22g protein, 3g carbs, 2g fat)

• 1 cup egg whites: 105 cal
• 2 cups spinach: 14 cal
• Cherry tomatoes

Spinach Wrap Hack (Save ~100 cal)

Replace tortilla with large spinach leaves for wraps—saves 100+ calories vs. tortilla.

Calculate Your Macros

Use our macro calculator to set your daily targets, then fill with spinach freely.

Spinach Nutrition Beyond Macros

Spinach is a micronutrient powerhouse:

Nutrient	Per Cup Raw	% Daily Value
Vitamin K	145mcg	121%
Vitamin A	141mcg	16%
Folate	58mcg	15%
Vitamin C	8mg	9%
Iron	0.8mg	4%
Magnesium	24mg	6%

Vitamin K note: One cup provides more than a full day’s vitamin K. If you take blood thinners (warfarin), maintain consistent spinach intake rather than varying wildly.

Fresh vs. Frozen vs. Canned

Form	Calories (1 cup cooked)	Notes
Fresh (cooked)	41	Best texture
Frozen	41	Similar nutrition, convenient
Canned	44	Higher sodium, softer

Frozen is fine: Frozen spinach has nearly identical nutrition and is already washed/chopped. Great for cooking.

Tracking Spinach Accurately

Raw Measurement

• Very loose pack: 1 cup = ~30g
• Volume varies significantly
• Weigh for accuracy if it matters

Cooked Measurement

• 1 cup cooked = about 180g
• Much denser than raw
• Use cooked entries when applicable

When to Bother Tracking

For most macro trackers, spinach is so low-calorie you don’t need to track it precisely. Exception: if you’re eating very large amounts (5+ cups cooked), the calories do add up.

Spinach Storage Tips

Fresh Spinach

• Refrigerate immediately
• Keep in original container or loosely wrapped
• Use within 5-7 days
• Wilted spinach still works for cooking

Frozen Spinach

• Lasts 10-12 months in freezer
• Thaw and squeeze out excess water before cooking
• Don’t use frozen raw—texture is wrong

Washing Fresh Spinach

• Rinse even “pre-washed” spinach
• Soak briefly, lift out of water
• Spin dry in salad spinner
• Or buy baby spinach (cleaner, tender)

Common Spinach Questions

Is Spinach Really Good for Iron?

Yes and no. Spinach contains iron, but it’s non-heme iron that absorbs poorly (~2-5%). Spinach also contains oxalates that further block absorption. For iron, pair with vitamin C (lemon juice on salad) or rely on meat sources.

Does Cooking Spinach Destroy Nutrients?

Some vitamin C is lost, but cooking increases absorption of beta-carotene and makes certain minerals more available. Both raw and cooked spinach are nutritious—vary your preparation.

Can I Eat Too Much Spinach?

Excessive spinach (multiple cups daily, ongoing) could contribute to kidney stones in susceptible people due to oxalates. For most people, normal consumption is perfectly safe.

Why Does Spinach Shrink So Much When Cooked?

Spinach is 91% water. Heat releases that water and collapses the cell structure. This is why 6 cups raw becomes 1 cup cooked.

Is Baby Spinach Different from Regular?

Baby spinach is just young spinach leaves—same plant, harvested earlier. It’s more tender, milder flavor, and often cleaner. Macros are essentially identical.

Final Thoughts

Spinach is as close to a “free” food as you can get:

• 7 calories per cup raw—essentially nothing
• 0.4g net carbs—perfect for keto
• Loaded with vitamins K, A, C—exceptional nutrition
• Versatile—salads, smoothies, sautéed, soups

For macro trackers, spinach adds volume, nutrition, and satisfaction without affecting your numbers. Add it to everything, eat as much as you want, and enjoy one of the healthiest foods on the planet with zero guilt.