Spinach Is a Magic Food

Popeye was right. Spinach is a magic food.

It’s not just that it’s packed with nutrients that lower your risk of blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. The iron content is high, which helps reduce incidence and severity of anemia. It’s also a great source of fiber and ridiculously low in calories - 40 calories for a cup of cooked spinach; 7 calories for a cup of raw spinach.

But if you eat only raw or cooked spinach, it can wilt if you don’t eat it within a week or so. So how do you get around that problem?

Split your consumption between raw spinach for salads and freshly prepared dishes like lasagna, and frozen chopped spinach for a wide variety of other uses. Frozen spinach is often fresher than fresh (and much fresher than canned) because frozen veggies are flash frozen at harvest. The picture above is of the salad I made yesterday. On top of the bed of fresh spinach I added grape tomatoes, peas (also frozen and thawed), grated cheese, pan fried tofu and strawberries. Dressing was lemon juice and a little balsamic vinaigrette.

Also pictured is a breakfast I made for the kids that I paired with oatmeal: Halved hard boiled eggs with melted cheese, chopped spinach and sun dried tomatoes.

Here are some of the other places I manage to work in the leafy treasure:

• Mixed into scrambled eggs
• Added to pasta sauces
• Included in homemade soups
• Added to canned soups
• Combined with Greek yogurt (as a substitute for sour cream) in veggie dip mix

I also make a mean wrap with spinach tortillas, a thin layer of light cream cheese, another layer of hummus, fresh spinach leaves, grated carrots and a protein filling like tuna, grilled chicken or marinated tofu with a light dressing like sesame or teriyaki drizzed on top before folding or rolling.

However you get your spinach – get it! Your heart, bones, skin, digestive tract and your waistline will thank you.

Dan is a nationally certified personal fitness trainer and former continuing education faculty member of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. He is the owner and head trainer at Tri Valley Trainer in Pleasanton, which provides personal training, small group fitness and nutrition guidance. He can be reached at Dan@TriValleyTrainer.com