THE GREEN STUFF NO ONE LIKES!

"SPINACH"

I know what you are thinking.....Spinach is yucky......it's all in the way you season it when you cook it. I buy the frozen chopped spinach, it keeps longer and you can cook only the amount you need without wasting. When I cook my spinach I get my water, just enough to cover the spinach, to boiling and then pour in the frozen spinach. I let the spinach cook a few minutes then I add a little sea salt, black pepper, onion powder and a spoon full of extra virgin olive oil. I don't have a certain measurement of ingredients, I usually guess according to how much of spinach I am cooking. 

I found some nutritional information on the web to pass along...Spinach is low in calories and contains high amounts of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and flavonoids. The various flavonoids in spinach protect us against cancer. The antioxidants protect against free radical damage and help prevent degenerative diseases.

Spinach contains high amounts of vitamin K along with calcium and helps build good bones along with magnesium. The high amounts of iron in spinach is good for women, the iron in spinach is called non-heme iron. Sounds good so far!

Spinach contains oxalic acid, also called oxalates, which combines with the iron and inhibits its absorption. Oxalic acid also binds with calcium, creating calcium oxalate and inhibits the absorption of calcium. If there is not enough calcium in the diet, the oxalic acid will combine with the calcium in the kidneys and form kidney stones. Therefore, eating raw spinach on a regular basis increases the risk of kidney stones. *Cooking spinach breaks down the oxalates and prevents the formation of un-absorable mineral complexes in the body.

Spinach also contains goitrogens which interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland. Therefore, people with thyroid problems should avoid spinach.

1 cup cooked spinach contains:

  155 mg Magnesium............244 mg Calcium.............830 mg Potassium.............6.4 mg Iron

   17 mg Vitamin C.............14700 IU Vitamin A............4.3 gm Fiber..................5.3 gm Protein

The high protein and low carbohydrate content makes it a good food for diabetics.

Cooked spinach goes well with Omeletts, Grilled Meats, Green Salads and also with Vegetarian Lasagna. 

So give it a try, who knows, you might actually like it!