Spinach Nutrition
The Easiest Vegetable to Prepare

Spinach nutrition is literally at our finger tips as this vegetable comes prewashed and ready to go.  Whether it’s purchased in a bag or box it has become one of the easiest vegetables to prepare.

Spinach is loaded and I mean loaded full of good stuff.   It offers high levels of antioxidants and is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.  To name some of them spinach offers vitamins A, C, E, K, manganese, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, folate, folic acid, zinc, niacin and more. 

Let’s highlight some of the benefits of spinach nutrition in more detail.

Antioxidants: extremely important because they reduce the everyday cell damage our bodies encounter from the environment we live in, such as air pollution, toiletries, cleaning products and other chemicals that surround us.

Antioxidants help slow down the aging process, will help keep your skin healthy looking, helps maintain good health and assist in disease prevention such as cancer.

Vitamin A:  essential for healthy skin, hair, eyes, bones and teeth.  This vitamin also enhances the body’s immunity and helps prevent the common cold, flu and infections.

Vitamin C:  contains antioxidants that strengthen the immune system and helps the body absorb iron which is needed in the production of red blood cells and proper levels of oxygen intake.
Of course this vitamin offers many other benefits such as the production of collagen and elastin which helps keep us looking young. It also helps keep our bones and connective tissue healthy and helps prevent cataracts of the eye.

Vitamin E:  is also a strong antioxidant.

Vitamin K:  helps keep our bones strong which helps prevent osteoporosis.

Potassium:  is a mineral that is essential for maintaining the pH levels in our body fluids. It plays an important role with the following functions:
• Regulates blood pressure
• Muscle function
• Nervous system
• Heart function
• Kidney function
• Adrenal functions
• Bone mass and strength

Magnesium: is such a vital mineral needed by the human body.
 
It plays a strong role in muscle function including the heart muscle.
It is also needed in energy production and bone maintenance.

When we are deficient in magnesium we may encounter depression, mood swings, irritability, dizziness, muscle weakness, possible onset of osteoporosis and a whole slew of other problems.

Iron: is extremely important as its main function is to help carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

It is required for a healthy immune system and energy production.

Let’s Talk Calories:

So low in calories, in fact it contains less than 10 calories per every raw cup of spinach.  What a bonus.

Raw Versus Cooked:

I’m not saying this to deter anyone from eating cooked vegetables, but it is important to know that you will always receive a higher vitamin and mineral content when eating fruits or vegetables in their raw form as they lose a little during the cooking process.

Preparing Spinach:

The best part about making spinach is that it’s easy and fast to prepare:

Sometimes when I was crunched for time I would fill up a soup bowl full of prewashed spinach leaves and top it off with a little store bought poppy seed dressing.  It’s a tasty meal that can be made in seconds when you’re in a bind and it offers all the spinach nutrition listed above.

Cooked spinach isn’t much harder to make.  Sautee some diced onions in a little bit of butter and oil until the onions are translucent (just a few minutes).  Now add a bunch of raw spinach to the pot and a little salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally.  The spinach literally starts to collapse immediately and cooks in minutes.  This too is a fast way to enjoy the veggie.

So take a moment and enjoy a bowl of this amazing vegetable.

Useful Links: 

Kids Spinach Salad

Sausage Spinach Soup

Liver Loving Foods

Wishing you health and happiness

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