Spinach Substitutes
Out of spinach? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.
Need to convert spinach between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the spinach converter.
What to use instead of spinach
Kale
Produce swap
1:1 by cup
Works in cooked dishes and smoothies. Kale is more bitter and takes longer to wilt; remove tough stems and shred the leaves finely.
Silverbeet
Produce swap
1:1 by cup
Works in cooked dishes. Silverbeet has a slightly earthier flavour and firmer stems; strip the stems for recipes that call for leaves only.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What can I substitute for spinach?
- There are 2 workable substitutes for spinach, depending on what you have on hand and which property of spinach matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1:1 by cup. Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
- Will substituting spinach change how my recipe turns out?
- Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the spinach converter
- How do I measure spinach accurately?
- Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The spinach converter on this site converts between whole items, cups, US cups, grams, ounces, and pounds, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the spinach converter
Other ingredient and produce substitutes
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