Spinach dip: mostly cream, and the spinach gives up little

Spinach dip is sold on the spinach, and spinach is stingy with its calcium. In a randomized crossover trial in 13 healthy adults, only 5.1 percent of the calcium in a spinach test meal was absorbed, against 27.6 percent from milk. That trial used plain spinach, and we found no study of the dip itself. What the dip reliably delivers is energy and salt. USDA figures, calculated from a recipe rather than measured on any brand, put regular spinach dip at 345 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), so a 70 g individual container gives about 240 calories and 399 mg of sodium. A tablespoon is about 52 calories. Light and yogurt based versions come to 165 and 159 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), roughly half the regular dip.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A regular spinach dip provides about 345 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g), so one 70 g individual container gives about 240 calories and one tablespoon (15 g) about 52 calories. — not applicable (food composition data) Evidence E source
  345 calories/100 g; light version 165 calories/100 g; yogurt based 159 calories/100 g
• Light and yogurt based spinach dips carry roughly half the energy of the regular dip: 165 and 159 calories per 3.5 oz (100 g) versus 345 calories. — not applicable (food composition data) Evidence E source
  About 52 to 54 percent less energy than regular (345 calories/100 g)
• A 70 g container of regular spinach dip contains about 400 mg sodium, and spinach and artichoke dip about 434 mg. — not applicable (food composition data) Evidence E source
  399 mg per 70 g (regular); 434 mg per 70 g (spinach and artichoke); light 342 mg per 70 g

What your body absorbs

• In a feeding trial in 10 volunteers, eating 3.5 oz (100 g) grilled spinach together with sour cream and a calcium-enriched milk significantly lowered how much spinach oxalate was absorbed, measured over 6 and 24 hours. — 10 volunteers; 100 g grilled spinach alone or with 100 g cottage cheese, sour cream, sour cream plus Calci-Trim milk, or 20 g olive oil (n = 10) Evidence C source
  Soluble oxalate bioavailability from spinach alone 0.75% (6 h) and 1.93% (24 h); significantly lower with sour cream plus Calci-Trim milk (P<0.05)
• In a randomized crossover trial in 13 adults, only 5.1% of calcium from spinach was absorbed versus 27.6% from milk. — 13 healthy adults; test meal of milk or spinach with 200 mg calcium labeled with 45Ca (n = 13) Evidence B source
  Mean absorption 5.1% (spinach) vs 27.6% (milk); within-subject difference 22.5 +/- 9.5% (P<0.0001)
• In randomized crossover isotope studies in 13 women, adding 1.26 g oxalic acid to a kale meal did not change iron absorption (10.7% vs 11.5%). — 16 healthy women aged 18-45 years, 13 completed both studies; meals of wheat rolls with 150 g spinach or kale (n = 13) Evidence B source
  Iron absorption 10.7% (kale) vs 11.5% (kale plus 1.26 g oxalic acid), P=0.86; spinach meal 24% lower than kale, not significant (P>0.16)

What cooking and storage change

• Laboratory analysis found frozen spinach holds about 737 mg soluble oxalate per 3.5 oz (100 g), and grilling it keeps that oxalate because nothing is drained away with cooking water. — frozen commercial spinach sold in New Zealand (laboratory analysis) Evidence D source
  736.6 mg/100 g soluble and 220.1 mg/100 g insoluble oxalate; 76.7% of spinach calcium bound as insoluble oxalate

Safety, limits and interactions

• Spinach dip is a noticeable source of vitamin K: about 104 micrograms per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the regular version, about 73 micrograms in a 70 g container. — not applicable (food composition data) Evidence E source
  72.9 ug per 70 g (regular); 89.7 ug per 70 g (spinach and artichoke)
• Ready-made spinach dips can carry allergens not on the label: in 2017 a spinach artichoke dip was recalled in the US for undeclared egg. — consumers with egg allergy Evidence E source
  Risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize eye-health claims for lutein, the pigment spinach dip is often praised for. — not applicable (regulatory decision) Evidence E source
  Claim not authorized in the EU
• The EU did not authorize a claim that a leafy-green mix including spinach protects blood lipids from oxidative damage. — not applicable (regulatory decision) Evidence E source
  Claim not authorized in the EU

Who this works differently for

• In people stably treated with an oral anticoagulant, vitamin K1 intakes of 150 micrograms a day lowered the INR measurably, and in 25% of them the change was clinically relevant. — healthy volunteers stably anticoagulated on individualized doses for 13 weeks Evidence C source
  Threshold K1 dose lowering INR 150 ug/day; clinically relevant INR change in 25% of participants at 150 ug/day
• A systematic review of 149 reports lists spinach among the foods for which people on warfarin should watch for interactions and ask their clinician before changing intake. — 149 articles describing 78 herbs, foods or supplements reported to interact with warfarin (n = 149) Evidence C source
  Spinach named among foods with interaction concern; no pooled effect size

The bottom line

Spinach is high in oxalate. One laboratory analysis of frozen spinach sold in New Zealand found about 737 mg of soluble oxalate per 3.5 oz (100 g), and the authors point out that grilling keeps it in the food because no cooking water is poured away. Dairy in the same meal seems to hold some of it back. In a feeding trial in 10 volunteers, eating 3.5 oz (100 g) of grilled spinach with sour cream and a calcium-enriched milk significantly lowered the oxalate absorbed over 6 and 24 hours. The abstract does not separate the sour cream from the milk, and does not say the order was randomized. For iron the picture is different. In isotope studies in 13 healthy women, adding 1.26 g of oxalic acid to a kale meal did not significantly change iron absorption, 10.7 against 11.5 percent. The EU has refused eye-health claims for lutein, the pigment spinach dip is often praised for. It also refused a claim that a leafy-green mix including spinach protects blood lipids from oxidative damage. A refused claim is a decision by a regulator and does not by itself show that there is no effect. Two groups should read the label before the dip. Regular spinach dip carries about 104 micrograms of vitamin K per 3.5 oz (100 g) in the same calculated USDA figures, about 73 micrograms in a 70 g container. In volunteers kept stable on an oral anticoagulant, vitamin K1 supplements at 150 micrograms a day measurably lowered the INR, and the change was clinically relevant in a quarter of them. A systematic review of 149 reports names spinach among the foods for which people on warfarin should ask their clinician before changing how much they eat. People with egg allergy face a labeling risk. In 2017 a US spinach artichoke dip was recalled for undeclared egg, a single recall that shows the risk exists without telling you how often it happens.

Sources

1. spdip-r2-01 · food composition dataset
   Spinach dip, regular | Energy | 345 kcal per 100 g | 1 individual container = 70 g | 1 tablespoon = 15 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 12350240, FDC 2705625 · checked 2026-09-30
2. spdip-r2-02 · food composition dataset
   Spinach dip, light | Energy | 165 kcal per 100 g; Spinach dip, yogurt based | Energy | 159 kcal per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 12350245, FDC 2705626 · checked 2026-09-30
3. spdip-r2-03 · food composition dataset
   Spinach dip, regular | Sodium, Na | 570 mg per 100 g; Spinach and artichoke dip | Sodium, Na | 620 mg per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 12350240, FDC 2705625 · checked 2026-09-30
4. spdip-r2-05 · controlled feeding trial
   In this experiment 10 volunteers ingested 100g grilled spinach alone or with 100g additions of cottage cheese, sour cream and sour cream with Calci-Trim milk (180 g) and finally, with 20g olive oil. ... The mean bioavailability of soluble oxalate in the grilled spinach was 0.75+/-0.48% over a 6-hour period after intake and was 1.93+/-0.85% measured over a 24-hour period. Addition of sour cream and Calci-Trim milk reduced the availability of the oxalate in the spinach significantly (P<0.05) in both the 6-hour and 24-hour collection periods.
   Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-30
5. spdip-r2-07 · randomized crossover isotope trial
   The absorbability of calcium from spinach was compared with the absorbability of Ca from milk in 13 healthy adults in a randomized cross-over design in which the test meal of either milk or spinach had 200 mg of Ca labeled with 45Ca. ... Absorption was higher from milk in every case, with the mean absorption from milk averaging 27.6% and from spinach, 5.1%.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1988 · checked 2026-09-30
6. spdip-r2-08 · randomized crossover isotope trial
   After normalization for the spinach reference meal absorption, geometric mean iron absorption from wheat bread rolls with kale (10.7%) did not differ significantly from wheat rolls with kale plus 1.26 g OA added as potassium oxalate (11.5%, P=0.86).
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2008 · checked 2026-09-30
7. spdip-r2-06 · food analysis
   Frozen commercially available spinach in New Zealand contains 736.6+/-20.4 mg/100g wet matter (WM) soluble oxalate and 220.1+/-96.5mg/100g WM insoluble oxalate. The frozen spinach contained 90mg total calcium/100g WM, 76.7%of this calcium was unavailable as it was bound to oxalate as insoluble oxalate. ... When frozen convenience food is grilled there is no opportunity for the soluble oxalates to be leached out into the cooking water and discarded.
   Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-30
8. spdip-r2-04 · food composition dataset
   Spinach dip, regular | Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 104.1 ug per 100 g; Spinach and artichoke dip | Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 128.2 ug per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 12350240, FDC 2705625 · checked 2026-09-30
9. spdip-r2-11 · FDA recall announcement
   La Terra Fina is voluntarily recalling its 10 oz. containers of Spinach Artichoke & Parmesan Dip & Spread with the date of BEST BY NOV-01-2017 due to undeclared egg. ... People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to egg run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.
   US FDA, La Terra Fina recall announcement, 2017 · checked 2026-09-30
10. spdip-r2-12 · EU claims register
    POL-HC-7520 Lutein Lutein promotes healthy eye function. Lutein and zeaxanthin help protect the retina against oxidation / from oxidative stress. Lutein is a constituent of the macular pigment. Lutein and zeaxanthin are deposited naturally in the macula and lens. Lutein and zeaxanthin are highly and selectively accumulated in the macula and lens / in the retina Lutein contributes to eye health. Lutein helps maintain the normal function of the macula. Lutein contributes to a healthy macula and retina. Lutein – nutrition for the eyes. Lutein contributes to the protection of vision. Lutein is important for macular pigment density. Lutein and zeaxanthin help protect the retina against oxidation / from oxidative stress. Lutein und zeaxanthin are natural antioxidants for the eye. Lutein helps fight free radicals in the eye. Lutein and zeaxanthin are natural filters of visible blue light. Lutein and zeaxanthin help protect the eye against harmful effects of light exposure. Lutein help protect the eye against visible light damage Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-7520, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-30
11. spdip-r2-13 · EU claims register
    POL-HC-8442 A combination of red spinach, green spinach, red chicory, green chicory, green leaf chard, red leaf chard, red Swiss chard, golden Swiss chard and white Swiss chard Contributes to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative damage -/- Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8442, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-30
12. spdip-r2-09 · dose-response trial
    The threshold K(1) dose causing a statistically significant lowering of the INR was 150 microg/day. In 25% of the participants the INR change was regarded as clinically relevant at a vitamin K intake of 150 microg/day.
    Blood, 2004 · checked 2026-09-30
13. spdip-r2-10 · systematic review
    These include Chinese wolfberry, chamomile tea, cannabis, cranberry, chitosan, green tea, Ginkgo biloba, ginger, spinach, St. John's Wort, sushi and smoking tobacco. Patients should be counselled to continue to seek advice from their healthcare professionals when starting any new herbs, food or supplement.
    Br J Clin Pharmacol, 2021 · checked 2026-09-30