{"id":46001,"date":"2015-12-03T11:15:04","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T16:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=46001"},"modified":"2021-09-16T14:50:38","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T18:50:38","slug":"kale-vs-spinach-benefits-face-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/kale-vs-spinach-benefits-face-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Burn Face-Off: Kale vs. Spinach"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kale
Photos: Pond5<\/a> (top); Pond5<\/a> (bottom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From green juice<\/a> to salads<\/a>, spinach and kale are the workhorses of the produce section, acting as the base of healthy dishes you\u2019re used to (like this chicken, strawberry and spinach salad<\/a>), along with less traditional ones (hello, cauliflower-kale pasta<\/a>). And they\u2019ve earned their place on your plate thanks to some serious health benefits: Leafy greens are rich in nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E and K<\/a>, yet also have a low calorie count. Plus, because they\u2019re fiber-rich, they\u2019ll keep you fuller, longer. But since produce doesn’t stay fresh forever (spinach will last only 3-5 short days<\/a>!), you can\u2019t exactly keep a fridge stocked full of leafy greens. So, we’re pitting kale against spinach in this Daily Burn Face-Off to decide: Which packs more nutritional bang per bite?<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 11 Delicious Green Smoothie Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

While there\u2019s no wrong <\/em>choice, we asked two nutritionists \u2014 Erin Paterson, Culinary Nutritionist for Go2Go, a meal delivery service, and Lauren Slayton, MS, RD, founder of Foodtrainers<\/a>, a nutrition practice in NYC \u2014 to weigh in on which is best for you.<\/p>\n

The Benefits of Leafy Greens<\/h3>\n

Real talk: Both<\/em> veggies offer a slew of benefits. “From cardiovascular health and bone health to immune support and cancer prevention, leafy greens help with it all,” says Paterson. And since they\u2019re especially rich in vitamins C, you\u2019ll get a surprising beauty boost from eating them, too. Paterson adds, “The vitamin C in leafy greens is as good as any anti-aging cream.” Science confirms this, too: According to Oregon State University, vitamin C<\/a> may help counter UV damage to skin.<\/p>\n

Yet despite both being nutritional powerhouses, there are key differences between the two. Most importantly is the taste: In comparison, kale is bitterer than spinach. (Interestingly, that bitter flavor is caused by the very same compounds in kale that are actually good for you, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition<\/a><\/em>.) It also maintains its shape and volume better after cooking.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Eat These 10 Foods, Get More Calcium<\/a><\/p>\n

Interestingly, kale is higher in calories and carbohydrates<\/a> (49 calories per 100 g of raw kale, versus 23 calories per 100 g of spinach). Additionally, it\u2019s also a bit richer in those essential nutrients, says Paterson. “In addition to vitamins A and K, it\u2019s high in calcium, which is not only beneficial for your bone health, but aids in proper blood clotting, too.”<\/p>\n

Spinach, on the other hand, is higher in folate, a B vitamin especially essential during infancy, pregnancy and for women whom are breastfeeding<\/a>. It\u2019s also higher in iron, another nutrient particularly particularly important for women who are or plan to become pregnant, according to research published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences<\/a><\/em>. (Iron\u2019s also key for those who battle with anemia.) And with six times the magnesium as kale, spinach can help you get in some good zzz\u2019s. says Slayton. And anyone can benefit from more of this nutrient. \u201cMagnesium<\/a> is important for restful sleep and muscle relaxation,\u201d says Slayton.<\/p>\n

Does How I Eat It Matter?<\/h3>\n

While both kale and spinach are seemingly everywhere, we\u2019re not just seeing them in their traditional leaf form: These veggies can both be eaten raw, cooked or juiced. But if you\u2019re worried that how you consume them matters, don\u2019t fret. “There are always slight differences in the nutrition of raw versus cooked versus juiced vegetables,\u201d says Paterson. \u201cBut are they of enough significance to worry about eating it one way versus the other? No. Consuming more vegetables and leafy greens, no matter how you eat them provides a host of benefits.” So go for the smoothie or the salad \u2014 you\u2019re eating well regardless.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 10 Creative Kale Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n

Kale vs. Spinach: The Bottom Line<\/h3>\n

When it comes down to the final answer in the battle of kale vs. spinach, it\u2019s definitely not black and white: Which leafy green you choose depends on several factors, including what your own individual needs are at any given time. For example, women of childbearing age may find that spinach offers more nutrients that they need, like folate and iron, whereas those who don’t get calcium from other sources (vegans, for example) may choose kale in support of their bone health. Regardless, leafy greens are an amazing addition to any diet \u2014 whether you choose kale or spinach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s time to get schooled on your leafy greens. The match-up: kale vs. spinach. Which veggie do you think is healthier?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[51,71,85,341,381,178],"class_list":["post-46001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-salad","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2low-carb-diets","tag-vegetable"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46001\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}