For the past month the weekly label reviews have focused on looking at the health benefits of different fruits – we looked at strawberries, watermelon and acai berries. During April, we thought it would be fun to look at different vegetables. This week we’re looking at spinach.
Spinach is a nutritious summer vegetable that has many vitamins and minerals and is low-calorie and high volume food. Spinach is easy to use, since it tastes good raw or cooked. Spinach can be easily incorporated into many dishes. Spinach is available in fresh, canned and frozen forms. For the best quality, select leaves that are green and crisp, with a fresh fragrance.
In terms of nutrition benefits, spinach is fat and saturated fat free, cholesterol free, low calorie, high in vitamins A and C, high in iron, high in folate; and a good source of magnesium. And it has only 5 calories per ½ cup!
Some easy ways to incorporate spinach in the diet are to add it to sandwiches or burgers instead of lettuce. Try spinach in stir-fry by cooking it with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and broccoli. You can also sauté spinach with garlic in olive oil for a great side dish to any meal. Spinach can be chopped and added to lasagna or with mushrooms, onions and low fat cheese for omelets and frittatas. Or use fresh spinach to make a salad – toss with strawberries, mandarin oranges, and apple slices.
Rebecca
