Just like Popeye the Sailor Man, if you eat spinach you’ll get healthy & strong!! :)
Well…maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much!!
I’ve become so obsessed with spinach that this spring I decided to try growing some. So far, it’s doing pretty well, although in Iowa we’ve recently had extremely hot weather very early, so I’ve put my spinach in a shadier, cooler spot to try and extend its growing season. (Spinach doesn’t love super hot weather.) I’ve eaten some of the spinach from my little garden and it’s pretty tasty. We really enjoy the spinach that comes from our CSA box (community-supported agriculture), and frequently buy it from the farmers market as well.
And naturally, being of a curious disposition, I went looking for information on the health benefits of spinach. I knew, vaguely, that spinach is good for me. The specifics border on overwhelming, and of course some of the claims are going to be hard for science to confirm. (Are you paying attention? There won’t be a quiz later. Ha!) Spinach is a good source of the following nutrients: iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B2, manganese, and magnesium. It also contains high levels of chlorophyll, thanks to those lovely, dark-green leaves, along with beta carotene and lutein. Phytochemicals such as beta carotene are believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Spinach is also full of fiber and water, so it’s good for the digestive system. (One drawback to spinach is the oxalate content, which is a problem for people who have or have had kidney stones.)
I’m one of those people who likes spinach both cooked and fresh. I love it in salads, and sometimes I use only spinach in a salad instead of lettuce or a mix. I also love throwing it into cooked dishes, whether the instructions say to do so or not. For example, if we are traveling and have a hotel room with a microwave, I’ll make and freeze scrambled egg muffins. Basically, I sauté together a little bit of ham, onion, red bell pepper, and spinach, throw that mix into greased muffin tins, add beaten egg and cheese, and bake them in the oven. Voila! Breakfast we can take on the road, easily reheat, and it’s good for us.
Do you like spinach? If you do, what’s your favorite spinach recipe? If you don’t, try it sometime mixed into a salad; you may find your tastes have changed and you like it now. :) (Also, the BBC Good Food link has recipes!)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!