Spinach has more of a folklore attached to it than most vegetables.  Thanks to those Popeye The Sailor Man, lot’s of us grew up with the images of Spinach giving super human strength and massive guns!   But what if Popeye’s famous jingle was “I’m strong to the finish cuz I eats my Kale…”   It’s definitely not as catchy, but it probably would have been more accurate!  Let’s compare our leafy greens side by side: Spinach versus Kale.

Calories

You shouldn’t be concerned with counting calories when it comes to browsing the produce section at the grocery store, it should be said that Kale actually packs more of a caloric punch than its more infamous counter part.  1 Cup of Kale has about 30 calories versus 7 Calories in a cup of spinach.

Iron

Dark green vegetables are a good source of iron, and Spinach and Kale are no exception.   Iron is an important component of a healthy diet because it is a central component of hemoglobin which is responsible for carrying oxygen in the blood.  Kale has a slight edge with slightly higher Iron content than Spinach, but it’s nothing to write home about.   Keep in mind that pairing a Vitamin C source with Spinach or Kale dramatically increases the body’s absorption rate of Iron from the veggies!  A squeeze of lemon juice will do the trick!

Here’s where Kale starts kickin some butt against it’s sexier cousin:

Vitamin C

Kale has approximately 10 times the amount of Vitamin C compared to Spinach!   Kale packs a punch of 80mg versus just 8mg in Spinach!  I don’t have to tell you how important Vitamin C is – it’s integral for tissue growth and repair.  What massive biceps or a sexy 6 pack abs?  Make sure you’re getting your Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Get your Kale on!  Kale provides 4 times the amount of Vitamin A versus Spinach.  Vitamin A is important for skin and eye health.

Vitamin K

Here’s where the fight’s over… Vitamin K.  Kale is one of the richest sources of Vitamin K which is essential for building strong bones and helping to prevent heart disease.  It’s often called the “forgotten vitamin” simply because it doesn’t get as much attention as the other biggies.  One serving of Kale (approx one cup chopped) meets your entire day’s dietary recommendation for Vitamin K!  Spinach versus Kale both are healthy choices obviously, but Kale will give you about 4 times the amount of Vitamin K!

While it may not be as readily available as Spinach – if you’re wandering the produce section deciding which to add to you salad – Spinach versus Kale, go for the Kale.  It really is a superfood if ever there was one!

Tweet