“I’m strong to the finich, ‘cause I eats me spinach.” Thanks to the great Popeye the sailor man, spinach is probably one of the most popular dark green, leafy vegetables among them all. Rich in nutrients, fresh, tasty and flavorful…what’s more to ask for!?
Hey, it even turns out that this veggie goes into the modern ‘super foods’ list along with kale, swiss chard, turnip and others. In case you don’t know what exactly spinach is good for, check out this article about its best properties!
Without further ado, today we’re jumping right into the spinach ‘facts’ section. Keep reading!
- You know that cucumbers contain mostly water, right? OK, but you probably didn’t know that spinach is quite similar in terms of composition. It’s said that this green leafy consists of 91% water, which makes just 5% less than with cucumbers.
- Fresh vs. cooked: many people argue about which one is better. “Fresh” you would probably say while reading. Yes, most of us often rely on logic, but it turns out we’re not always right. Food specialists claim that spinach that goes under heat treatment (even for a minute) is much healthier. Interesting, huh!?
- If you compare 100g of spinach with the same amount of pie, you’ll understand that there’s more iron in the veggie. To be precise, the leafy vegetable beats the pie with its 3,57mg of iron in comparison to pie’s 2,49mg. Or, if you wish for extra iron strength, you can always combine both of them. Check out our pie with spinach to see what we’re talking about!
- We mentioned the all-time-favorite animation hero right in the beginning, but here’s something more! The farmers from the early 30s credit spinach’s popularity namely to Popeye. That’s because of the incredible 33% increase in the consumption rate, which must have been highly required during The Great Depression.
- Some say that one of the best ways to have spinach is by drinking a smoothie. To make your own version of it, you can always mix the greens with your favorite fruits. Spinach is thought to be low on calories, but to increase your energy levels and act as an antioxidant.
- Speaking of calories, food experts say that it’s definitely something to not worry about. The truth is 100g of spinach contain only 23 calories. Can you believe?
- Did you know that artists from the Ancient times used spinach to extract a green pigment? This way they had an interesting, unique and ecological source for their paintings.
- In case winter has its bad effects over your health like having those brittle nails, for example, there’s spinach to help! Its high levels of vitamin C and collagen might be something to rely on when taking care of your nails.
