Comparing Nutrients in 500 calories Spinach VS Sunflower Seeds

Weight per 500 calories

• Spinach: 2174g
• Sunflower Seeds: 85.6g

Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have 25.4 times more energy per unit of mass than Raw Spinach, which is very high in comparison to other foods. Spinach having very low energy density.

Which food has more nutrients per 500 calories - Spinach or Sunflower Seeds?

Macros Ratio

	Protein	Fat	Carbs
Spinach	39%	12%	49%
Sunflower Seeds	13%	74%	13%

Macro Nutrients

	Spinach	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Energy	17.2% 500kcal	17.2% 500kcal	2900kcal per day for Men 19-50 years
Fat	8.74% 8.48g	45.4% 44g	97g per day for Men 19-50 years
Saturated Fat	4.28% 1.37g	12% 3.8g	32g per day for Men 19-50 years
Omega 3	188% 3g	3.2% 0.051g	1.6g per day for Men 19-50 years
Omega 6	3.32% 0.57g	116% 19.7g	17g per day for Men 19-50 years
Cholesterol	0% 0mg	0% 0mg	290mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Carbohydrate	60.7% 79g	13% 17g	130g per day for Men 19-50 years
Sugars	12.6% 9.13g	3.1% 2.24g	72.5g per day for Men 19-50 years	Limit added sugars in the diet to less than 10% of total calories [Guidelines 2020]
Fructose	4.5% 3.26g	NA	72.5g per day for Men 19-50 years	≤50g/day or ~10% of energy has no deleterious effect on lipid and glucose control and of ≤100g/day does not influence body weight[PMC2991323]
Glucose	% 2.4g	NA	g per day for Men 19-50 years
Sucrose	% 1.52g	% 2.14g	g per day for Men 19-50 years
Fiber	126% 48g	19.4% 7.36g	38g per day for Men 19-50 years
Protein	111% 62g	31.8% 17.8g	56g per day for Men 19-50 years

Vitamins

	Spinach	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Vitamin A	1133% 10196μg	0.29% 2.57μg	900μg per day for Men 19-50 years	RAE, retinol activity equivalents
Vitamin B1	141% 1.7mg	106% 1.27mg	1.2mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Thiamine
Vitamin B2	316% 4.1mg	23.4% 0.3mg	1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Riboflavin
Vitamin B3	98% 15.7mg	44.6% 7.14mg	16mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinamide
Vitamin B5	28.3% 1.4mg	19.3% 0.97mg	5mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Pantothenic acid
Vitamin B6	326% 4.24mg	88.6% 1.15mg	1.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Pyridoxine
Vitamin B7	308% 92μg	NA	30μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Biotin
Vitamin B9	1054% 4217μg	48.6% 194μg	400μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Folates and Folic Acid
Vitamin B12	0% 0μg	0% 0μg	2.4μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Cobalamin
Vitamin C	679% 611mg	1.33% 1.2mg	90mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Ascorbic acid
Vitamin D	0% 0IU	0% 0IU	600IU per day for Men 19-50 years	Calciferol, cholecalciferol, ergocalciferol
Vitamin E	294% 44mg	201% 30mg	15mg per day for Men 19-50 years	Tocopherols and Tocotrienols
Vitamin K	8748% 10498μg	0% 0μg	120μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Phytomenadione or phylloquinone

Minerals

	Spinach	Sunflower Seeds	Recommended Dietary Allowance
Calcium	215% 2152mg	6.68% 66.8mg	1000mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Copper	314% 2.83mg	171% 1.54mg	0.9mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Fluoride	NA	NA	4000μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Fluoride is a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay and helps keep your bones strong. [RDA]
Iron	736% 59mg	56% 4.5mg	8mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Magnesium	409% 1717mg	66.3% 278mg	420mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Manganese	848% 19.5mg	72.6% 1.67mg	2.3mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Molybdenum	NA	NA	45μg per day for Men 19-50 years	Molybdenum is an essential trace element that is naturally present in many foods [RDA]
Phosphorus	152% 1065mg	80.7% 565mg	700mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Potassium	357% 12130mg	16.2% 552mg	3400mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Selenium	39.5% 21.7μg	82.5% 45.4μg	55μg per day for Men 19-50 years
Sodium	114% 1717mg	0.51% 7.7mg	1500mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Zinc	105% 11.5mg	39% 4.3mg	11mg per day for Men 19-50 years
Water	53.7% 1987g	0.11% 4.05g	3700g per day for Men 19-50 years

Lets compare vitamin content per 500 calories of Spinach vs Sunflower Seeds:

• Raw Spinach has 3969.5 times more Vitamin A, 1.3 times more Vitamin B1, 13.5 times more Vitamin B2, 2.2 times more Vitamin B3, 1.5 times more Vitamin B5, 3.7 times more Vitamin B6, 21.7 times more Vitamin B9, 509.6 times more Vitamin C, 1.5 times more Vitamin E and more Vitamin K than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• Both Raw Spinach as well as Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have insufficient amounts of Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D in 500 kcal.

Comparing minerals per 500 calories for Spinach vs Sunflower Seeds:

• Raw Spinach has 32.2 times more Calcium, 1.8 times more Copper, 13.1 times more Iron, 6.2 times more Magnesium, 11.7 times more Manganese, 1.9 times more Phosphorus, 22 times more Potassium, 222.9 times more Sodium, 2.7 times more Zinc and 490.6 times more Water than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 2.1 times more Selenium than Raw Spinach.

Comparison of macro-nutrients per 500 calories:

• Raw Spinach has 58.4 times more Omega 3, 4.6 times more Carbohydrate, 4.1 times more Sugars, 6.5 times more Fiber and 3.5 times more Protein than Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels.
• While Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels contain 5.2 times more Fat, 2.8 times more Saturated Fat and 34.9 times more Omega 6 than Raw Spinach.
• Both Raw Spinach and Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have similar amounts of Energy per 500 kcal.
• Both Raw Spinach as well as Dried Sunflower Seed Kernels have insufficient amounts of Cholesterol, Glucose and Sucrose in 500 kcal.