I've been filling my spring mix salads with an additional 1 cup of fresh spinach daily. Today, my coach told me that 4 cups of fresh spinach equals 1/2 cup of my daily veggies. She said spinach is pretty much like lettuce, in how it can be unlimited/doesn't count for much. It does not say that on the IP Phase 1 sheet I received though and it was the first I had ever heard of it. Is this true?

Whoa! Hopefully a senior person will reply here but, I would say heck NO! 4 C is 4C...it is in my world!
Looking forward to hearing from our elders

Sorry but your coach is a dummy! Everyone counts spinach as a veggie.

Just checked my Phase 1 sheet and spinach is clearly listed as an approved veggie

I just searched it and found another thread regarding this (oops!) and am surprised by how different each coach is. One coach told a girl cucumbers, kale, spinach and lettuce were all unlimited. Another coach told a girl cucumbers, lettuce and dill pickles were unlimited. And most coaches say JUST lettuce is unlimited. I am kind of bummed. I love eating tons of spinach in my salads, it's such an easy way for me to get veggies in, which is why the coach says that it's supposed to be unlimited -- because it's so easy to get 1 cup in and I'm not truly getting "1 cup". I'm almost tempted to lie on my journal now and say I'm eating something else when really I'm eating spinach... lol.

Maybe ask your coach to check with IP head quarters? There are too many 'house' rules. Whenever I questioned my coach he always emailed the headquarters and got the correct answer. I love spinach too and would die if someone told me that. I count the 2 cup I mix in my smoothie every day. As you can see I've been successful.

I feel like she might be offended if I question her or ask her to check lol but I definitely do want to know!

Look you're paying for her services, you need the correct answers!

My coach always checked with IP, as well.

And spinach is on the VEGGIE list.
If you feel like she'd be offended then there is an issue of the fact that you are a paying customer and you're paying for a service.

Not all IP coaches have the same training. Some have more advanced training. Some stay more current than others. And, as we have all learned, many make stuff up!

If IP wanted spinach to be unlimited, it would be on the unlimited list, along with lettuce, but it clearly is not.

I echo what everyone else says.

Spinach is clearly listed under select veggies. Lettuce is unlimited (iceberg, romaine, boston, butter, green leaf) but kale, pickles, spinach, arugula, etc. needs to be counted towards your 4 cups per day.

Maybe you misunderstood your coach because 4 cups of fresh spinach leaves may cook down to 1/2 cup when steamed? That's the only thing I can think of with the conversion she offered you.

I love using spinach as part of my veggies, mostly because it does cook down. When I'm in a hurry, 1 cup of spinach = about 6 bites!

(Okay, that makes me sound lazy, but it really does help get the veggies in on "those" days.)

dont feel bad I have the same mentality! lol

I bought the peach. mago rtd shake and I tried mixing spinach with it. Not good....Any ideas of a vegetable I can mix with this?

Green leaf lettuce is NOT a freebie, just the four others you've listed.

When you compare the various nutritional stats of the listed lettuces, you see green leaf is one of the LOWEST, so I'm not sure where that info came from.

My coach said if its called lettuce, it's lettuce (vs spinach or field greens or kale or something not named lettuce)

I've done that too! Ick. No idea what would be good in that! I mix my spinach with choc or vanilla drinks and they are good.