Spinach is one of the lightest leafy greens you can add to a plate — a single tablespoon of raw chopped spinach weighs only about 2 grams and supplies roughly 0.4 calories. Cooked spinach is more concentrated: a tablespoon of boiled spinach contains about 11 grams and around 2.5 calories. This calculator converts your tablespoon measurement into an accurate calorie estimate, whether your spinach is raw, cooked, frozen, or canned.
Counting calories by the tablespoon is especially handy for meal prep, smoothie bowls, omelets, and recipes that list small servings. The tool also breaks down the mass and energy density of your portion, and an optional advanced field lets you enter the exact grams per tablespoon if you weigh your own spinach. It is designed for anyone tracking calories, building meal plans, or simply curious about how much energy this nutrient-packed green actually provides.
🥬 Spinach Calories Per Tablespoon
Estimate calories for raw, cooked, frozen, or canned spinach by the tablespoon.
📊 Results
| Total mass | — |
| Calories per tbsp | — |
| Energy density used | — |
How to Use This Tool
Choose the spinach form that matches what you are measuring from the dropdown: raw chopped, cooked boiled, frozen cooked, or canned drained. Enter the number of tablespoons — decimals work, so half a tablespoon or 0.25 tbsp is fine — and press Calculate. The result appears instantly with the estimated calories, total mass, and calories per tablespoon.
If you weigh your ingredients, tick the Advanced option and enter your own grams-per-tablespoon value. This is the most accurate path, because chopped spinach volume can vary depending on how finely it is minced and how tightly it is packed. The calculator still uses the USDA energy density of about 23 kcal per 100 g for plain spinach, so only the volume-to-mass conversion changes. For another small-portion calorie check, see the rice calories per tablespoon calculator.
How the Calculation Works
The calculator uses a simple two-step formula:
Mass (g) = tablespoons × grams per tablespoon
Calories (kcal) = mass (g) × calories per 100 g ÷ 100
The default grams-per-tablespoon values are based on standard USDA portion data:
- Raw chopped spinach: ≈ 2 g per tbsp
- Cooked boiled spinach: ≈ 11 g per tbsp
- Frozen cooked spinach: ≈ 12 g per tbsp
- Canned drained spinach: ≈ 12 g per tbsp
These values reflect that cooking removes water and collapses the leaves, so a tablespoon of cooked spinach contains far more plant material — and therefore more calories — than a tablespoon of raw leaves. The energy density of plain spinach is consistently around 23 kcal per 100 g across forms; the difference in calories per tablespoon comes almost entirely from how much spinach fits in the spoon.
Reference Data: Spinach Nutrition per 100 g
Plain spinach is roughly 91% water, which is why it is so low in calories. The table below shows typical values for raw and boiled spinach per 100 grams.
| Nutrient | Raw spinach | Boiled spinach |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 23 kcal | 23 kcal |
| Protein | 2.9 g | 3.0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.6 g | 3.8 g |
| Fiber | 2.2 g | 2.4 g |
| Sugars | 0.4 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 0.4 g | 0.3 g |
| Vitamin K | 483 µg | 494 µg |
| Folate | 194 µg | 146 µg |
| Iron | 2.7 mg | 3.6 mg |
Values are compiled from USDA FoodData Central. For the most current data, check the USDA FoodData Central database.
Worked Examples
Example 1: 4 tablespoons of cooked spinach
4 tbsp × 11 g/tbsp = 44 g
44 g × 23 kcal/100 g ÷ 100 = 10.1 kcal
A 4-tablespoon serving is about the amount you might add to an omelet or pasta dish.
Example 2: 1 cup of raw spinach (16 tbsp)
16 tbsp × 2 g/tbsp = 32 g
32 g × 23 kcal/100 g ÷ 100 = 7.4 kcal
That is a generous handful of raw leaves — barely any calories but a useful dose of vitamin K and folate.
Example 3: 2 tbsp of frozen spinach, weighed at 15 g/tbsp
2 tbsp × 15 g/tbsp = 30 g
30 g × 23 kcal/100 g ÷ 100 = 6.9 kcal
Using a scale changes the estimate from 5.5 kcal (at the 12 g default) to 6.9 kcal.
Tips & Best Practices
- For calorie tracking, weighing in grams is always more accurate than volume, because chopped leaves settle differently in a spoon.
- If you use a packed tablespoon rather than a level one, add 20–30% to your grams-per-tablespoon estimate.
- For frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out excess water before measuring — the drained weight is what affects calories.
- Canned spinach can be high in sodium; rinse it if you are watching salt, though rinsing does not meaningfully change calories.
- When combining spinach with fats or dressings, remember the added oil, butter, or dressing often contributes more calories than the spinach itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does raw spinach have so few calories?
Raw spinach is about 91% water and only about 3.6% carbohydrate. Its low energy density means a large volume of leaves contributes very few calories, making it a popular choice for adding bulk and nutrients to meals.
How many calories in a cup of spinach?
Roughly 7 kcal for a cup of raw leaves (about 30 g) and about 41 kcal for a cup of cooked spinach (about 180 g). The cooked version weighs much more in the same cup volume because the leaves collapse during cooking.
Should I count spinach calories at all?
For strict calorie counting, yes — every food counts, even low-calorie greens. In practice, the calories are small, but the fiber, vitamin K, folate, iron, and antioxidants are meaningful. Tracking helps you see the full nutrient picture.
Is baby spinach different?
Baby spinach has a similar energy density and nutrient profile to mature spinach, so you can use the same 23 kcal per 100 g value. Its leaves are more tender and may pack slightly differently in a tablespoon, which is where the optional weight field helps.