Healthy Food Database

Spinach
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Spinach is marketed as English spinach although it can also be confused with Silverbeet (see separate listing).
Popeye was said to get his strength from spinach because of its high level of iron, which is needed to take oxygen to muscles. Spinach is not actually a great source of iron as its iron content is bound up with oxalic acid which can't be used by the body. It does have many other health benefits and is delicious. English spinach has bright green, thick, soft, oval to arrow-shaped leaves and green stems, both of which are eaten.
Category: Vegetable
In Season: Autumn Winter
To Buy:
Buy in bunches or loose as salad greens. Look for bright green fresh leaves that are not wilting.
To Store:
Remove the string from the bunch and refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper for up to 3 days. Never wash before storing.
Tips & Tricks:
Wash bunches of spinach thoroughly before cooking. Fill a basin with cold water and drop the leaves in, gently swilling the water around with your hands. Repeat a couple of times. Dry in a salad spinner before cooking.
Cooking Tips:
Steam or cook in a pan with sufficient water to just cover it. Cook until it's completely wilted. Drain any extra moisture from it by rolling it in a sushi mat or pressing it firmly through a sieve with a wooden spoon.

Nutrition per 0.5 Cup:

Weight (grams):
72.5
Carbohydrates, g:
4.1
Protein (g):
2.2
Saturated Fat, g :
0.0
Vitamin A:
Vitamin C:
Iron, mg:
Potassium:
Antioxidants:
Salicylates:
High
Energy (kJ):
93
Fibre, g:
Fat (g):
0.3
Monosaturated Fat , g:
0.0
Vitamin B2:
Vitamin K:
Folic Acid:
Magnesium:
Amines:
Very High
Glutamates:
Natural

Benefits the Following Health Conditions:*

Anaemia
High Blood Pressure
Osteoporosis
Eye Problems
Low Energy
Premature Aging
High Blood Cholesterol
Malnutrition
Find recipes with Spinach

* This information is sourced by a qualified naturopath. It is non prescriptive and not intended as a cure for the condition. Recommended intake is not provided. It is no substitute for the advice and treatment of a professional practitioner.

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