Super foods, the ultimate health foods – the benefits of Spinach

If you're not adding spinach to your meals, you're missing out on one of nature's true super foods. It's a green leafy vegetable that's chock full of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds (phytochemicals). It's one of those vegetables that is always recommended for peak health generation after generation. The trick is to find ways to incorporate into your cooking as our shot of the layered spinach bake shows.

Rich in vitamins ...

It's an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, beta carotene (converted to vitamin A in the body) and vitamin E. An average serve (35g) provides 5 mg of vitamin C, one-eighth of the recommended daily intake.

... and antioxidants

It offers many antioxidants but is one of the best sources of lutein and zeaxanthin. These two antioxidants can help protect our eyes as we age, so keeping macular degeneration at bay.

Was Popeye wrong?

Long famous for its high iron content (which was made famous by the cartoon Popeye), spinach's iron is unfortunately not well absorbed. It's present but doesn't get into the body in great amounts.

Easy ways to enjoy spinach

• Make a salad of baby spinach leaves and toss through toasted pine nuts and crumbled goats cheese. Drizzle over a good dressing with wine vinegar and olive oil.
• Add 1 cup of well-drained frozen chopped spinach to your meat loaf or meat balls. It's a great way of sneaking in vegetables to kids who won't eat any!
• Add a handful of baby spinach leaves to finish off a curry or stir fry.
• Use cooked spinach as a base for eggs or fish. Think of Eggs Florentine.
• Eat a baby spinach leaf salad every day or every second day.
• Add chopped cooked spinach to lasagna and meatloaf.

Try my healthy spinach recipes:

Quick creamy spinach soup

Lentil and spinach soup

Clear spinach soup with tofu

Nutrition stats

Per serve:

One cup raw spinach leaves (weighing 35g) supplies: less than 1g protein, trace of fat, trace sugar, 0 starch, 1g dietary fibre and 22 kilojoules (5 calories).

Per 100g raw:

2 per cent protein, trace of fat, trace of sugars, 0 starch, 3 per cent dietary fibre and 63 kilojoules (15 calories).

function jceOnLoad(){JContentEditor.initEditorMode('text');}

Parameters (Article)

Premium Member	Catherine SaxelbyDorothy HartFoodwatch EditorFransiska HluschniowJan Stokesjanelle couellJohn PitchersMaryl-Anne MarshallMe MEMunaiba KhannewPeter TrotterPhilippa Sandalltest memberTest3 User3Tester User2testuser7 testuser7
Author Alias
Access Level	PublicRegisteredSpecial
Created Date
Start Publishing
Finish Publishing

Parameters (Advanced)

Show Title	Use GlobalNoYes
Title Linkable	Use GlobalNoYes
Intro Text	Use GlobalHideShow
Section Name	Use GlobalHideShow
Section Title Linkable	Use GlobalNoYes
Category Title	Use GlobalHideShow
Category Title Linkable	Use GlobalNoYes
Article Rating	Use GlobalHideShow
Author Name	Use GlobalHideShow
Created Date and Time	Use GlobalHideShow
Modified Date and Time	Use GlobalHideShow
PDF Icon	Use GlobalHideShow
Print Icon	Use GlobalHideShow
E-mail Icon	Use GlobalHideShow
Content Language	- Select Language -English (United Kingdom)
Key Reference
Alternative Read more: text

Metadata Information

Description