Calories in Palak (Spinach): Nutrition, Portions, and Diet Tips
Calories in Palak (Spinach): Nutrition, Portions, and Diet Tips
Palak (Spinach) has 23.0 kcal per 100 g, and one cup cooked (about 180 g) gives 41.4 kcal. Per 100 g you also get protein 3.0 g, carbohydrate 3.8 g, and fat 0.3 g. A cooked cup serving gives protein 5.4 g, carbohydrate 6.8 g, and fat 0.5 g.
Nutrition Facts for Palak (Spinach)
| Food | Calories (kcal) | Protein (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Fat (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palak (Spinach), per 100 g | 23.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 0.3 |
| Palak (Spinach), 1 cup cooked (about 180 g) | 41.4 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 0.5 |
These values come from the USDA description Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt (fdcId 168463). They describe plain boiled palak, drained of its water, with no salt and no added oil or ghee.
Palak (Spinach) Portions in Pakistani Kitchens
The serving used on this page is 1 cup cooked (about 180 g). That is roughly the amount you would serve as one vegetable dish on a normal dinner plate, once the palak has been boiled and drained. In our kitchens palak rarely reaches the table in that plain form. Palak ka saag, palak gosht, and palak with a tarka of oil, ghee, onions, garlic, and tomatoes all add their own calories on top of the vegetable itself.
The practical habit that helps most is to weigh or measure the cooked palak once, so you learn what 1 cup cooked (about 180 g) looks like in your own pot and bowl. From there you can judge the rest by eye. If you cook one bunch of palak and it reduces to a certain volume after boiling and draining, note that volume and divide it by the number of servings your family takes. Then add the oil or ghee separately, since the 41.4 kcal from the serving above counts the plain boiled vegetable only.
Palak (Spinach) Compared With Other Foods
Palak sits in the same low calorie range as the other everyday sabzi on the Pakistani table. Bhindi (Okra) gives 22.0 kcal per 100 g, and 1 cup cooked (about 100 g): 22.0 kcal. Gobi (Cauliflower) gives 23.0 kcal per 100 g, and 1 cup cooked (about 125 g): 28.8 kcal. Palak at 23.0 kcal per 100 g matches gobi closely, and a cup of cooked palak at 41.4 kcal is still a modest addition to a meal. The cup weights differ because each vegetable cooks down to a different density, so comparing per 100 g is the fairest way to judge them.
Is Palak (Spinach) Good for Weight Loss?
Palak (Spinach) can fit a calorie controlled diet, because 23.0 kcal per 100 g leaves plenty of room in a normal daily budget for protein, roti, dal, or rice on the same plate. It does not, by itself, decide your result. What decides the outcome is the portion you eat, how much oil or ghee goes into the pan, and what you eat with it across the day.
Think of it this way. A serving of plain cooked palak at 41.4 kcal is easy to include. The same serving cooked with a heavy tarka is a different calculation, and if it comes with two large rotis and a bowl of rice, the whole meal is what you should track. Keeping the portion honest is the whole game, and palak makes that job easier because its own numbers are small.
How to Eat Palak (Spinach) Wisely
- Measure the cooked portion once with a cup, so you know what 1 cup cooked (about 180 g) looks like, then log 41.4 kcal for that amount plus anything you add.
- Keep the oil and ghee separate in your tracking. The values on this page are for plain boiled, drained palak with no salt, so the tarka is counted on its own.
- Build the plate around protein and roti, and let palak act as the filling, low calorie vegetable. Palak adds protein 5.4 g per cooked cup, which supports a balanced plate but does not replace dal, eggs, chicken, or fish.
- When you eat palak as a sabzi in someone else's house, estimate the portion by eye against the cup you measured at home, and adjust the rest of the day if the portion turns out larger.
Who Should Be Careful
If you are managing diabetes, are pregnant, or live with a kidney or heart condition, ask a qualified doctor before making palak a large or daily part of your diet. Individual needs differ, and only your doctor can advise on what suits your condition and your medicines.
FAQ
How many calories are in one cup of cooked palak? One cup cooked (about 180 g) gives 41.4 kcal, along with protein 5.4 g, carbohydrate 6.8 g, and fat 0.5 g. That count is for plain boiled, drained palak with no salt and no added oil or ghee.
Is Palak (Spinach) low in calories compared with other sabzi? Palak has 23.0 kcal per 100 g, which is close to Gobi (Cauliflower) at 23.0 kcal per 100 g and just above Bhindi (Okra) at 22.0 kcal per 100 g. All three are low calorie vegetables, so the cooking fat usually matters more than the vegetable itself.
Can I eat palak every day while managing my weight? Many people do, because 23.0 kcal per 100 g is a small number and a cooked cup at 41.4 kcal is easy to fit. Keep the portion steady, track the oil you cook it in, and balance it with protein and roti across the day.
If weight management is the goal, the calorie calculator can help plan the day, and Active Detox is available at Clinicaly. Browse all products, check more Pakistani food calories, read the DRAP safety guide, learn about Clinicaly, or contact our team.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central, Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, fdcId 168463. Values per 100 g; serving values are approximate.
Medical disclaimer: this page is for general information only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified doctor before changing your diet.