Spinach is our food of the week and is in the peak of its season. Did you know that spinach is not only a rich source of vitamins and minerals, but researchers have identified carotenoids and at least 13 different flavonoid phytonutrients in spinach that act as powerful antioxidants? Antioxidants combat the free radicals that cause oxidative damage to both cells and DNA. When the researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University tested various fruits and vegetables for their antioxidant capabilities, spinach ranked second only to kale among the vegetables tested. The various flavonoids in spinach have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic properties, while its carotenoids, such as zeaxanthin and lutein, help fight prostate cancer and protect against eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Since carotenoids are fat-sol! uble, they are not well absorbed unless fat is also consumed—a good reason to add extra flavor and nutrition to spinach by dressing it with extra virgin olive oil. When looking at spinach.s impressive nutritional profile, remember that it also contains many other health-promoting phytonutrients for which daily recommended intakes have not yet been provided, so they are not included in the chart.
It's so versatile and so easy to cook up! I have been throwing it into everything that crosses my counters/stove.
I love the reaction when people ask me what I put in my smoothies.
"Well, I put in OJ or some Naked juice, frozen blueberries, a little soymilk, spinach...." And it completely catches them off guard. I get the same raised eyebrow every time.
My current favorite meal is mushrooms, garlic and onion sauted with PAM, dump an entire bunch of fresh spinach in and half a bag of tofu shirataki fettucine style noodles that have been par-boiled (20 calories), cover and let finish. It makes several servings. I take each serving out and add a dash of parmesan, part of a low fat Laughing Cow wedges, and some cottage cheese. Then nuke it to melt the cheeses. Really satisfying and good.
for those of you hat put spinach in your smoothies does it take away from the sweet taste?
Nope. You might notice a different taste in there, but it doesn't remove the sweetness. In other words, it still tastes like a fruit smoothie. I don't know how much Nelie uses, but I tr to pack it in.
I wilt spinach into tons of things...stirfries, soups...I'm not really into it raw as much, but I do love it wilted into things.
I will never forget the first time I tasted fresh, farmer's market organic local spinach. The difference in taste from supermarket spinach was just astounding to me. The flavor was so much richer.
I go through one of those big 16 oz tubs of baby spinach every week.
I love it raw in salads or thrown into almost anything. It's really good on ww pizza too! I pile it on the crust, add other veggies, and top with just a little bit of cheese. Yum.
2beautiful - I don't think so and I put a lot of spinach in my morning smoothie (nearly 1 lb every morning). I stuff it by the handfuls in my 64 oz blender container, then add 1 cup of strawberries, 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, 10 baby carrots and 2-4 stalks of celery. I add water and blend. I will sometimes vary the fruit, leave out apple, add blueberries in instead, etc.
Thank god for Costco's 2.5 lb bags of spinach or else I don't know what I'd do
There is a wonderful mushroom medley somewhere on here. It uses spinach. We love it. In fact, with the exception of 1 person who doesn't like mushrooms, I've been asked for the recipe numerous times.
I was in my 20s before I realized I like spinach. My parents didn't eat it, so neither did I.
Nelie, your blender must sound like an aircraft engine when you pack it that full and turn it on.
I like fresh spinach. I like to make a tortilla pizza (flour tortilla-low carb, spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce, and a sprinkling of mozzerala cheese) bake in the oven at 350 for 10 min. Once I pull it out I add about 1 cup chopped fresh spinach to the top and scant T of light dressing and cut into wedges. Mmmmmm......!
Hubby likes to take lean ground beef and add one can of canned spinach to it. He mixes it thoroughly and makes hamburgers as usual. I hate canned spinach but these are good!
I'm going to try adding the spinach to my smoothie. I love spinach and eat both raw in salad or cooked as a side dish but have never tried it in a smoothie. Does the smoothie end up green because of all the spinach?
This Week's Healthiest Food - Spinach
