You’re standing in the kitchen, staring at a giant bag of greens. You’ve heard for years that leafy greens are basically "free" food. But if you’re actually tracking your macros or trying to hit a specific deficit, you need the real number. So, how many calories are in 1 cup of spinach?
The short answer? It’s almost nothing.
Raw spinach is mostly water and fiber. In a standard measuring cup of fresh, raw leaves, you’re looking at roughly 7 calories. Honestly, it's so low that most fitness trackers barely register it unless you're eating the whole bag. Which, let’s be real, you might be doing if you're making a green smoothie.
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But things get weird once you turn on the stove.
The Cooking Trap: Why Measurements Change Everything
The "1 cup" rule is tricky. If you take that same cup of raw spinach and sauté it for thirty seconds, it disappears. It wilts into a single, lonely tablespoon of green mush. This is where people mess up their calorie counting.
A cup of cooked spinach isn't 7 calories. Because the leaves have collapsed and the water has evaporated, you're fitting way more actual plant matter into that measuring cup. A cup of boiled or sautéed spinach jumps up to about 41 calories.
Still low? Yeah. But it’s nearly six times the calories of the raw version.
If you're following a recipe from someone like Ina Garten, you’ve also got to account for the "vessel." Spinach is a sponge. If you sauté that cup in a tablespoon of olive oil, you aren't eating a 41-calorie side dish anymore. You're eating a 160-calorie dish because of the fats.
The Nutrition Facts (The Real Stuff)
According to the USDA FoodData Central, spinach is a powerhouse, even if the calorie count is negligible. In that tiny 7-calorie serving of raw leaves, you’re getting about 0.86 grams of protein. It sounds small until you realize that by weight, spinach is actually quite high in protein for a vegetable.
You also get:
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- Fiber: About 0.7 grams per raw cup.
- Vitamin K: This is the big one. One cup provides over 100% of your daily requirement.
- Vitamin A: High levels of carotenoids that your body converts to retinol.
- Iron: Though, there's a catch with the iron.
Let’s Talk About Oxalates (The Iron Myth)
Everyone thinks of Popeye. You eat spinach, you get strong, right? Well, spinach does have iron, but it also contains high levels of oxalic acid.
Oxalates are "anti-nutrients." They bind to minerals like calcium and iron in the gut and prevent your body from absorbing them efficiently. So, while the label says there's iron in there, you’re only absorbing a small fraction of it compared to the iron you'd get from a piece of red meat.
If you want to unlock that nutrition, hit it with some Vitamin C. Squeeze a lemon over your spinach salad. The ascorbic acid helps break that oxalate bond and lets your body actually use the nutrients you’re paying for at the grocery store.
Spinach vs. Kale: The Calorie Face-off
People love to compare these two. If you’re choosing based purely on "how many calories are in 1 cup of spinach" versus kale, spinach wins for weight loss.
One cup of raw kale sits at about 33 calories. That’s significantly higher than spinach’s 7. Is it going to break your diet? No. But if you’re volume eating—trying to fill your stomach as much as possible for the fewest calories—spinach is the undisputed king of the produce aisle.
Raw vs. Cooked: Which is Better?
There is no "perfect" way to eat it.
Raw spinach keeps the Vitamin C and folate intact. These are heat-sensitive nutrients that degrade the moment they touch a hot pan. If you're looking for an antioxidant boost, keep it raw in a sandwich or salad.
Cooking it, however, has benefits. Heat breaks down the cell walls and reduces the oxalic acid content slightly. This makes the Vitamin A and E more bioavailable. Basically, you should probably do both. Have a salad for lunch and some sautéed greens with dinner.
Freshness and the "Slimy" Factor
Here is something nobody talks about: the age of your spinach matters for more than just the taste.
A study from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that spinach starts losing its nutrient density within 24 hours of being picked. By the time it sits in a plastic container, travels across the country, and spends four days in your fridge, the folate levels have plummeted.
If the leaves look wilted or "kinda" translucent, the nutritional profile has changed. It's still low calorie, but you’re losing the engine that makes it a superfood.
Real-World Serving Sizes
Most of us don't actually eat one cup.
If you're making a dinner-sized salad, you're likely using 3 or 4 cups. That brings your base to roughly 28 calories. Compare that to a "healthy" grain bowl where the base of quinoa might be 220 calories for the same volume. It’s the ultimate "filler" for anyone trying to stay lean.
Potential Downsides (Yes, There Are Some)
You can actually eat too much spinach.
Because of those oxalates I mentioned earlier, people prone to kidney stones (specifically calcium-oxalate stones) need to be careful. If you're blending two pounds of raw spinach into a "mega-smoothie" every morning, you're flooding your kidneys with compounds that can crystalize.
Moderation is a boring word, but it applies here.
How To Actually Track This In An App
If you use MyFitnessPal or Lose It!, don't just search "spinach."
Search for the specific state of the vegetable.
- Spinach, raw: Use this for salads or smoothies.
- Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained: Use this for sides.
- Spinach, canned: Be careful here, as canned versions often have added sodium for preservation.
Actionable Steps for Your Kitchen
Stop overthinking the 7 calories. Instead, focus on how you prepare it to maximize the health benefits without adding "hidden" calories.
- The Steam Method: If you want the benefits of cooked spinach without the oil, steam it for 60 seconds. It wilts just enough to be digestible but keeps the vibrant green color (and the nutrients).
- The Smoothie Hack: Freeze your fresh spinach. It doesn't change the calorie count, but it makes the texture of your smoothies way creamier without needing to add high-calorie yogurt or bananas.
- The Dressing Ratio: If you’re eating it raw, use a misting spray for oil. A heavy pour of dressing can turn a 7-calorie cup of spinach into a 200-calorie fat bomb faster than you can say "Popeye."
Spinach is basically the closest thing we have to a "free" calorie food. Whether you're counting every gram or just trying to eat a bit better, you can't really go wrong with it—just watch out for the butter and the kidney stones.
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Next Steps for Your Diet:
Check the "Pack Date" on your next bag of greens. Aim for spinach that was packaged within the last 48 hours to ensure you're getting the peak Vitamin C levels. If you’re tracking calories for weight loss, use a digital scale to weigh your spinach in grams rather than using a measuring cup; 30 grams is the standard serving size for raw leaves and provides much more accuracy than loosely packed "cups."