Spinach - May 2007's Featured Food

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Nutrition Notes

Spinach is a power house of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  It is a rich source of iron, vitamins A, C and K, potassium and magnesium.  As well as being packed with nutrients, spinach is low in calories and fat.  In fact a serving of spinach (1/2 cup cup cooked) contains only 21 calories and less than 1 gram of fat!

Spinach is an excellent source of lutein, a natural pigment with antioxidant properties.  Lutein is important for eye health because it decreases the risk of age related macular degeneration.  Research suggests that between 6 and 10 milligrams (mg) of lutein is needed per day to boost eye health; 1/2 cup of cooked spinach contains 10.2 mg.

Spinach is also an important source of folate.  Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a role in the development and maintenance of new cells - making it especially important during times of growth, especially infancy and pregnancy.  Folate is especially important for women who may become pregnant, since it protects against neural tube defects.  1/2 cup of cooked spinach provides 139 micrograms (ug) of folate per day; over 50% of the recommended daily intake.

A Canada Food Guide serving of spinach is 1/2 cup cooked. Here's how spinach stacks up in terms of its nutrient content:

Per 1/2 cup cooked (boiled) spinach:

Calories (kcal)	21
Fat (g)	0.3
Fibre (g)	2.3
Vitamin A (from beta-carotene) (ug)	5980
Vitamin C (mg)	9.3
Vitamin K (ug)	469
Calcium (mg)	129
Iron (mg)	3.4
Magnesium (mg)	83
Potassium (mg)	443
Folate (ug)	139
Lutein (mg)	10.2

 

There is an increasing amount of research coming out on this humble green leafy vegetable, suggesting it really is a nutrient power-house!

Protection against stomach cancer

According to Swedish researchers, participants in the Cohort of Swedish Men and the Swedish Mammography Cohort who ate more than three servings per week were 46 percent less likely to develop stomach cancer than participants who ate than half a serving per week.  The findings were published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention.  

Spinach wards off prostate cancer

According to a 2004 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, neoxanthin, a carotenoid found in high quantities in spinach, was found to fight prostate cancer by inducing cancer cell growth and preventing cell replication.

Reducing mental decline

According to Harvard researchers, a study of more than 13,000 women found that those who ate more green leafy vegetables in middle age has less mental decline in their 70's, compared to women who did not eat the vegetables.

Another study conducted by researchers at the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair found that when older rats were fed a diet rich in spinach for six weeks, they actually showed a reversal in the normal loss of learning that occurs with age.

Varieties

Spinacia oleracea is the scientific name of spinach, which is in the same family as chard and beets. 

There are 3 widely available types of spinach; smooth leaf, savoyed leaf and semi-savoyed leaf. 

Smooth leaf spinach has broad, flat leaves.  This type of spinach is often canned or frozen.

Savoy leaf spinach has dark green, slightly curly leaves.  Savoy spinach is the variety most likely to be sold fresh in stores and markets.

Semi-savoy spinach has slightly crinkled leaves and is very similar to the savoy, although not as difficult to clean.  Semi-savoy spinach is grown for both fresh markets and processing.

Buying

Spinach is available fresh, frozen, and of course how Popeye enjoyed it - from a can. 

Choose fresh spinach that has a vibrant deep green colour.  Turn the leaf over and be sure to choose spinach that has no signs of yellowing or bruising.  Leaves should be fresh and tender and not wilting.

Storing

To store fresh spinach - loosely wrap it in a plastic bag and store in the crisper section of the fridge for up to 5 days.  Avoid washing the spinach prior to storing, as any excess moisture will cause the spinach to spoil more quickly.

Preparing

Unless you purchase pre-washed spinach, or baby spinach which tends to have less sand and soil on it, spinach usually has to be rinsed well before eating.

To wash spinach, remove course stems and place the leaves in a bowl of water.  Gently remove the spinach from the water, before dumping the water and refilling the bowl with clean water to repeat the process.  Continue to rinse the spinach until no more sand or soil is left in the bottom of the bowl of water.

If you are eating the spinach fresh, the best way to dry spinach after washing it is to shake off excess moisture in a colander, or drying in a salad spinner.

If you are cooking the spinach, there is no need to shake off the moisture

Spinach is about 91 percent water, meaning it shrinks a lot when cooked.  In fact, cooked spinach has a volume about one-tenth of its raw volume.

Eating

There are endless ways to enjoy spinach - making a versatile and appropriate for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Try the following tips to add spinach to your diet for a boost of nutrients....

Healthy Ways to Enjoy

• Add chopped spinach to an omelet at breakfast, or quick and easy dinner
• Add layers of spinach, raw or steamed to your next lasagna recipe
• Try a cold spinach salad by topping fresh baby spinach with walnuts, sliced apples and red onions for an easy and healthy lunch
• Or...try a warm spinach salad, sauté onions and mushrooms and a splash of balsamic vinegar - top with toasted pine nuts
• Sauté a few cloves of garlic in olive oil in a skillet, add spinach and toss until slightly wilted
• Sauté spinach and top with peanut sauce and crushed peanuts
• Try a pesto recipe with equal amounts spinach and basil for a boost of vitamin C
• Instead of topping your burgers with lettuce this summer, use fresh baby spinach leaves for added nutrients
• Add some green to your favourite pizza. Before baking add some wilted spinach to the top of your pizza - be sure to drain any excess moisture from the spinach to avoid a soggy crust
• Add chopped spinach to pasta sauce at the end of cooking, it will wilt slightly and not only provide colour, but added nutrients

Did you know?

• Popeye the Sailor loved his spinach, and always becoming much stronger after consuming it.  While it is a source of iron, it doesn't contain as much as was once reported in the 1930's - a value that was only corrected decades later!
•  Spinach originated in the middle East, before being brought to North America by the Spanish
• Many dishes that have spinach as their main ingredient will appear with "a la Florentine" in their name

For More Information

Wikipedia

The World's Healthiest Foods

University of Georgia