Plant-based foods › Cooked spinach
Spinach on a plant-based diet
Spinach contains iron and calcium, but it is also high in oxalates, which bind much of those minerals so you absorb relatively little. It is a healthy green, just not the iron powerhouse it is often made out to be.
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Spinach is rich in folate and vitamin C and adds bulk and colour to meals. It does contain iron and calcium, but its oxalates mean you should not rely on it as a headline source of either.
How to get the most from it
Enjoy spinach for what it is, and lean on lower-oxalate greens such as kale, pak choi and broccoli when you specifically want calcium and iron. Cooking spinach and pairing it with vitamin C helps a little with absorption.
Cooked spinach nutrition
| Nutrient | Per 1 cup cooked (180g) | % of RNI |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 6.43mg | 74% |
| Calcium | 245mg | 35% |
Per-serving figures from the Plentish dataset (source: USDA FoodData Central). % of RNI uses the adult UK reference intake.
Note: High iron content but oxalates limit absorption, so do not rank it as a top iron source.
What it covers on your watch-list
Recipes with Cooked spinach
- Lentil and roast pepper bowl
- Chickpea and spinach curry
- Spinach and lentil dhal (Plus)
- Adzuki bean and spinach curry (Plus)
- Chana masala (Plus)
- Turmeric tofu scramble (Plus)
- Mung bean dal with spinach (Plus)
Common questions
Is spinach high in iron?
Spinach contains iron, but its oxalates bind much of it, so you absorb relatively little. Lentils, tofu and pumpkin seeds are more reliable plant iron sources.
Is the calcium in spinach usable?
Not very. Oxalates lock up most of spinach’s calcium. Kale, pak choi and broccoli are lower in oxalates and better absorbed.