Do you use Spinach in your recipes? You should. Seems Popeye knew something!
Spinach Salad. Spinach Dip. Spinach Quiche. Even Spinach Lasagna. These are healthy and tasty ways to enjoy this healthy vegetable.
Read on to learn more!
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is an edible flowering plant. It is native to central and southwestern Asis. It is an annual plant which grows to a height of up to 12 in.
The English word “spinach” dates to 1530. Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia (modern Iran and neighboring countries). Arab traders carried spinach into India, and then the plant was introduced into ancient China, where it was known as “Persian vegetable” The earliest available record of the spinach plant was recorded in Chinese, stating it was introduced into China via Nepal (probably in 647 AD)
Spinach first appeared in England and France in the 14th century, probably via Spain, and it gained quick popularity because it appeared in early spring, when other vegetables were scarce and when Lenten dietary restrictions discouraged consumption of other foods. Spinach is mentioned in the first known English cookbook, The Forme of Cury (1390), where it is referred to as spinnedge and/or spynoches. In 1533, Catherine di Demici became queen of France; she so fancied spinach that she insisted it be served at every meal. To this day, dishes made with spinach are known as “Florentine”, reflecting Catherine’s birth in Florence. During World War I, wine fortified with spinach juice was given to French soldiers weakened by blood loss.
Nutritional Value
Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, mangonese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.
Polyglutamyl folate (vitamin B9 or folic acid) is a vital constituent of cells, and spinach is a good source of folic acid. Boiling spinach can more than halve the level of folate left in the spinach, but microwaving does not affect folate content. Vitamin B9 was first isolated from spinach in 1941.
Iron
Spinach, along with other green leafy vegetables is considered to be a rich source of iron. For example, the U.S.D.A. states that a 180 gram serving of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron, whereas one 170 gram ground hamburger patty contains at most 4.42 mg
Calcium
Spinach also has a high calcium content. However, the oxalate content in spinach also binds with calcium, decreasing its absorption. Calcium and zinc also limit iron absorption. The calcium in spinach is the least bioavailable of calcium sources By way of comparison, the body can absorb about half of the calcium present in broccoli, yet only around 5% of the calcium in spinach.
Spinach, Popeye and the myth
The cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man is portrayed as having a strong affinity for spinach, becoming physically stronger after consuming it. A frequently circulated story claims this portrayal was based on faulty calculations of the iron content. In the story, German scientist Emil Von Wolff misplaced a decimal point in an 1870 measurement of spinach’s iron content, leading to an iron value 10 times higher than it should have been, and this faulty measurement was not noticed until the 1930s. However, recent research has shown that this is just another long-standing myth, and spinach was chosen and promoted in Popeye for its vitamin A content alone
Spinach is one of the wonderful components of One24‘s Natra Burst.
17 comments
Holly
December 5, 2011 at 8:18 pm (UTC -4)
I do use spinach in many things!! Yes, great food!! I only wish that it had in it all it says it does, depending on the crop and how the growing and cultivating season goes, it would be wonderful to get a serving with all in it that is says it has… but just the same I eat it often to take advantage of what nutrients are in it! Thanks for the lesson in Spinach, I didn’t know all this!
Holly recently posted..When You Hear The Word Exercise, What Comes To Mind?
Tom Burt
December 5, 2011 at 10:40 pm (UTC -4)
Thank you for the comment Holly! Come back weekly for posts on the benefits of other vegetables and plants. In a few weeks I’ll be getting into some more lesser known plants!
Nile
December 7, 2011 at 3:01 am (UTC -4)
I love spinach quiche. I made it once, but also mixed with crab. I have to dig through again to find the recipe. My son is not so keen on it, but I guess that will have to be when he is out of the house…lol.
I loved eating spinach, even as a kid, normally with a dash of salt and butter. I still do today.
I wonder how I can get my kid to warm up to it because popeye is not doing his job as well as it did for me…lol
Nile recently posted..WordPress Video: A Walk Through WordPress 3.2.1
Tom Burt
December 7, 2011 at 10:22 am (UTC -4)
Love your comment!! LOL
Coach James | Mastermind to Personal Power
December 7, 2011 at 1:02 pm (UTC -4)
Hey Tom,
I like what you’re doing here as people who appreciate food (who doesn’t) need to understand exactly what the value is behind what we ingest. Love spinach dip BTW.
I also wanted to take a moment to say welcome to the TSA and it’s great to connect!
Best,
James
Coach James | Mastermind to Personal Power recently posted..What is Your Why?
Tom Burt
December 8, 2011 at 12:44 am (UTC -4)
Thanks James! I appreciate the kind words!
Rick Lelchuk
December 8, 2011 at 6:41 am (UTC -4)
Tom,
Eating naturally is so important today. Spinach is a wonderful vegetable, versatile in it’s variety of uses. I love the explanation about Popeye and the missed decimal point. Aren’t myths great!
RICK
Rick Lelchuk recently posted..Six Steps to Create Your Personal Definition of Success
Tom Burt
December 8, 2011 at 9:44 am (UTC -4)
Thank you for the comment Rick! Keep em coming! LOL
Jeffrey T. Sooey
December 12, 2011 at 6:12 am (UTC -4)
Spinach is one of my favorite vegetable. Like popeye, It makes you stronger!
Stevie Smith
December 13, 2011 at 12:18 pm (UTC -4)
Well, young Catherine de Medici would have needed all the goodness of spinach in order to retain some of the favor of her king who seemed to be interested in Diane de Poitiers, his other lady.
From Spinach to medieval France! And a Florentine au Gratin for this old man who has been inspired by your post!
Merci!
Stevie
Stevie Smith recently posted..Betrayal – When Love Doesn’t Mean Anything!
Tom Burt
December 13, 2011 at 1:58 pm (UTC -4)
Bonjour,
LOL! Thanks Stevie !!
Chloe Hodder
December 14, 2011 at 4:27 am (UTC -4)
I love spinach. At the moment I am eating it with a Spanish omelet. I use it all the time, I prefer it raw, as a salad leaf than cooked. Plus you are conserving the nutrients. Interesting to hear about it’s timeline!
Tom Burt
December 14, 2011 at 11:18 am (UTC -4)
Great to hear from you Chloe!
Yes, you are getting the nutrients out of the plant by eating it raw. Notice you can microwave or steam it, but don’t boil it. That seems to be about the same with all vegetables!
Tom
Chloe Hodder
December 16, 2011 at 12:34 pm (UTC -4)
Absolutely, whenever I cook vegetables I lightly steam them. Yes boiling just kills off most nutrients and enzymes, though microwaves kill everything!
Tom Burt
December 16, 2011 at 1:17 pm (UTC -4)
Not actually….the common theme with cooking vegetables is this….Boiling takes the nutrients out, with losses of 20 – 30% after five minutes, 40 – 50% after ten minutes, and 77% after thirty minutes. However, other preparation methods such as steaming, MICROWAVING, and stir frying have no significant effect on the nutrients!
So nuke away! LOL
Perry A Davis Jr
December 15, 2011 at 12:07 pm (UTC -4)
Hello Tom
Yes we use spinach in our recipes. One of our favorite greens in a salad is spinach. As you say in this post spinach has many nutritional values. In George Matheljan’s book “The World’s Healthiest Foods”, spinach is listed as the most nutrient rich food in the vegetable and salads category. Research has found a novel carotenoid, neoxanthin and other leafy vegetable not only instructs prostrate cancer cells to self-destruct but is also transformed into other molecules that prevent the cancer cells’ replication.
Thanks
Perry A Davis Jr
Music City
Tom Burt
December 15, 2011 at 1:59 pm (UTC -4)
Awesome Perry!
Would you write my blog for me? LOL
I have an interesting plant I’m going to post next week! Stay Tuned!
Tom