Spinach

Health Benefits:

Aids in digestion
Aids in weight loss
Anti inflammatory
Fights free radicals
Improves bone and muscle health
Increases immunity
Lowers blood pressure
May reduce cholesterol
May regulate blood sugar
Promotes heart health
Provides energy
Relieves constipation

Nutrition:

Serving size: 1 cup raw; Calories: 7; Fat: .1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 24mg; Carbs: 1.1g; Fiber:2g;  Sugars: .1g; Protein: .9g; Potassium: 4%DV; Vitamin A: 56%DV; Vitamin C: 14%DV; Calcium: 3%DV; Iron: 4%DV

Did You Know?

• Freezing spinach diminishes its health benefits. The way to get the best from the leaf is to buy it fresh and eat it the same day.
• Cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits! Just half a cup of cooked spinach will give you twice as much nutrition as one cup of raw spinach.
• Spinach leaves are a mild diuretic and mild laxative.
• Good plant based source of Iron

Ways to Eat:

• Raw
• Steamed
• Sauteed
• Boiled

Farming Trivia:

• California produces 74 percent of the fresh spinach grown in the United States
• Silverbeet is sometimes called spinach in Australia, but true spinach has smaller leaves and a much sweeter, milder flavour. In the United States, silverbeet is called Swiss chard
• It is said that spinach probably originated in the Middle East and were taken to Spain in the 13th century by the Moors