Protein content
A 1 cup cooked serving of spinach contains 5.3 g of protein - a moderate source of protein, about 11% of the 50 g Daily Value.
Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is very protein-dense.
| Serving | 1 cup cooked (180 g) |
|---|---|
| Protein per serving | 5.3 g |
| Protein per 100 g | 2.97 g |
| Calories per serving | 41 kcal |
| Protein density | 52% of calories |
| Share of 50 g Daily Value | 11% |
| Protein quality | Incomplete protein |
| Category | Vegetables |
| Food type | Whole food |
| USDA record | FoodData Central #168463 |
A typical 1 cup cooked serving of spinach contains 5.3 grams of protein (2.97 g per 100 g), which makes it a moderate source of protein. That covers roughly 11% of the 50 g reference Daily Value, so it adds toward your protein total for the day.
Protein accounts for roughly 52% of the calories in spinach, making it very protein-dense. The rest comes from fat and carbohydrate, so it adds a solid amount of protein while still carrying real energy - useful when you are eating to a calorie target rather than under one.
Among the 105 vegetables in the database, spinach ranks 5th by protein per serving, and 474th out of all 796 foods on the site. Set against hash browns, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g more protein (hash browns has 4.7 g per 1 cup).
It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving above is measured by volume at 180 g. The per-100 g figure lets you compare it directly against any other food here, whatever its serving.
Source: USDA FoodData Central #168463 - "Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt" (SR Legacy, published 4/1/2019). Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.
Quick answers
Spinach has 2.97 g of protein per 100 g. A typical 1 cup cooked serving (180 g) provides 5.3 g.
No. Spinach is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other protein sources across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids.
A 1 cup cooked serving of spinach contains 5.3 g of protein, about 11% of the 50 g reference Daily Value.
Spinach is a moderate source of protein, and about 52% of its calories come from protein, which makes it very protein-dense. Set against hash browns, another vegetable entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.6 g more protein (hash browns has 4.7 g per 1 cup).
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