It's all about Spinach in here.
When you say Spinach, I immediately remember Popeye. Popeye gets his strength to knock out Pluto and heroically save Olive by munching his can of spinach – to be fair, this plot line wasn’t over exaggerated at all, if you ask me. It's true that spinach strengthens muscle mass. An evidence suggests that Nitrates found in spinach makes muscles stronger. So get your hands on those quickly.
Essential nutrients found in Spinach:
When you buy raw spinach from markets, keep in mind that those dark green bundles are high in Vitamin A (beta carotene) and also a good source of folate and Vitamin C. If you’ve had this leafy vegetable raw, then count on these blessings.
If you eat fully cooked spinach like me, then you’re packing yourself with Vitamin A, folate, Vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, iron and magnesium.
A point to be noted is, although spinach is rich in iron and calcium, the presence of Oxalic acid in spinach inhibits absorption of these nutrients in the body.
Some ‘origin and botanical facts’ for you:
Spinach is believed to be originated in Southwest Asia or the Western Himalayas. Wild varieties also grow in North Africa and Iran. The Chinese cultivated this vegetable in the 7th century and Europe in the 9th century. And from there it was introduced to Spain by the Arabs. It was the Spaniards who named it.
Growing spinach domestically in your gardens isn’t that hard. All you need to know is that Spinach is an annual plant, it requires cool and damp weather. It grows on rich moist soil. You can purchase moist composts in shops but you’ve to be considerate on weather conditions.
You can plant spinach seeds in early spring or in autumn, depending on the variety. Hardier varieties will survive winter but more tender varieties should be planted when summer is about to start, so that it’s ready for harvest in summer.
You can harvest spinach after 6 weeks of planting, when the longest leaves are up to 6 to 8 inches in height.
Spinach recipe ideas:
· Serve raw, flat-leaf variety is preferred.
· Add to soups, casseroles and stews.
· Sauté only spinach in olive oil or vegetable oil until it shrinks.
· Chop and season spinach with nutmeg/ chilli powder/tomato sauce/lemon juice/soy sauce. Use it as a stuffing or as filling.
No wonder Popeye always has a can of this goodness. So in your next grocery shopping list include Spinach and train your children in eating it too! You’ll never regret.
Tell me about your spinach stories and anything that I’ve missed out on.
Reference:
Murdock. D. H. Encylopedia of Foods. A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. (2002). Dole Food Company inc. San Diego, California. Part II, high protein foods, Pg. 292.
**images including cover image are from Pixabay.
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