Carb Counts for Spinach

Nutritional Information and Low-Carb Recipes

Spinach and other leafy greens are sometimes considered a "free" food on low-carb diets because they have so little impact on blood glucose. The vitamin K they are packed with may even have a positive impact on blood glucose, and some diabetics notice that it is easier to control their blood glucose when they eat a lot of greens. Note that 6 cups of raw spinach will cook down to only one cup of cooked spinach.

Carbohydrate and Fiber Counts for Spinach

• 1 cup raw spinach: .4 gram effective (net) carbohydrate plus .7 gram fiber and 7 calories

• 1 10 oz package raw spinach: 4 grams effective (net) carbohydrate plus 6 grams fiber and 65 calories

• ½ cup cooked spinach: 1 gram effective (net) carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber and 21 calories

• ½ cup cooked chopped frozen spinach: 1 gram effective (net) carbohydrate plus 4 grams fiber and 32 calories

Glycemic Index for Spinach

As with most non-starchy vegetables, there is no scientific study of the glycemic index of spinach.

More Information about the Glycemic Index

Estimated Glycemic Load of Spinach

• 1 cup raw spinach: 0

• 1 10 oz package raw spinach: 2

• ½ cup cooked spinach: 1

• ½ cup cooked chopped frozen spinach: 1

More Information About the Glycemic Load

Health Benefits of Spinach

Leafy greens like spinach are simply packed with nutritional goodness. Spinach is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and manganese. It is a very good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, potassium, and iron, and a good source of calcium and vitamin E. More Information on the Health Benefits of Spinach and other Leafy Greens

Low-Carb Recipes with Spinach

• How to Cook Greens
  
  
• Warm Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
  
  
• Simply Scrumptious Spinach
  
  
• Easy Spinach Dip
  
  
• Spinach Casserole
  
  
• Easy Eggs Florentine
  
  
• Joe's Special, Laura Style
  
  
• Low-Carb Spinach Gnocci

More Information About Spinach at Calorie Count.

_Sources:

Leroux, MarcusFoster-Powell, Kaye, Holt, Susanna and Brand-Miller, Janette. "International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 76, No. 1, 5-56, (2002).

United States Department of Agriculture. "Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods - 2007. November 2007

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 20.