Let’s Talk Spinach!

spinach

I have really been trying to increase the amount of vegetables I eat in a day.  As you can see from the Great Veggie Experiment,  this is one area that is a struggle for me since I was a youngin, but I decided to just go ahead and live dangerously and try something new fairly often.  We always need to challenge ourselves, right?

I bought a ginormous bag of spinach at the store on Sunday, all cleaned and prepped, which is way easier than buying the bunch spinach.  I think the price is pretty comparable when you consider taking the leaves off the stems.  So, the last couple days have included the Big Green Smoothie!

smoothie4

This looks like a Magic Window, only green  (anyone else remember these??) .   If you have yet to jump on the spinach smoothie bandwagon, I urge you to do so.  You really cannot taste it – this one had at least 2 cups of spinach it it (plus honey, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, ice, and water).  I kind of laugh at myself that I have to ‘fool’ myself into eating vegetables, but you know – whatever works, right?  If only I had a true love for veggies growing up, I think trying to lose weight would have been a lot easier in the past.

Anyway – on to the wonderful benefits of spinach!  Time fer some lernin!

Spinach is really one of those superfoods.  It can have healthy benefits on the following systems:

  • Eyes – Lutein, vitamin A (2 cups has 150% of your RDA!)
  • Bones – Calcium
  • Skin – Vitamin C and A, antioxidants
  • Heart  – Folic acid, antioxidants, potassium, magnesium
  • Brain – Folate, vitamin C
  • Muscles – Protein and amino acids

What a great food!  And to think that I really thought I disliked it, or only found it tolerable as part of a cheesy spinach dip LOL!

Question:  Do you eat spinach?  If so, what is your favorite way to eat (or drink!) it?

14 thoughts on “Let’s Talk Spinach!

  1. Pam

    I have been buying these ginormous bags of spinach at the Farmer’s Market every week and use every last leaf – I was so bummed when they didn’t have any this week!
    I put spinach in EVERYTHING – scrambled with egg whites, pasta sauces, mixed in with turkey or chicken for meatballs or meatloaf, salads…I even tried one of these smoothies about a week ago – wow was it good! Here’s to better luck at finding my 3.5 pound bag of it next week!

  2. roxie

    Like Pam, I put spinach in everything and use it as the greens in all our salads. I may have to try out the smoothie thing. I think I’ll have to buy a good blender first.

    Do health food stores/smoothie places sell these? I’d hate to buy a fancy pants blender only to hate the smoothies. Hmm. I might have to try before I buy.

    Thanks for the reminder.

  3. SeaShore

    Spinach is my choice for “lettuce” too. If I don’t get through the whole box (washed baby spinach) before it starts to wilt, then it gets thrown into a pasta dish. (Whole wheat penne, tomatoes, spinach, basil, and feta makes my favourite.) None is wasted.

  4. Shelley B

    I eat it – in salads (usually combined with romaine lettuce). But I am going to make a green smoothie tomorrow – I’ve been working up to trying one for a while now, and seeing the picture of your smoothie has convinced me!

  5. debby

    I have been drinking green smoothies too, only sometimes she puts kale in them as well, and there is always fruit. Yumm. Its a little hard for me to ignore the green color. Growing up I loved veggies, and one of my favorite was the chopped frozen spinach. I loved that stuff! Funny I never think of it as an adult. I don’t buy frozen food that much. But I might have to try cooking it again. I like it in salads too, and on pizza.

    1. Lori Post author

      Isn’t that funny – I totally love the green color! When I did it with strawberries it was brownish and unappealing to me.

  6. Detje Bea

    I just love spinach. I put it on my sandwiches and also in my salads and soups. I am growing spinach and I just got home from a 24 day vacation and my garden of spinach, lettuce and tons of other vegetables are ready to be picked.
    I am going to try that spinach smoothie one day.

  7. Vee

    My Son won’t eat many greens, but he’ll eat raw spinach. Just puts a leaf at a time in his mouth, sometimes minus the stems, and munches until they are all gone.

    I will sometimes do that or add to my green salad. I HATE cooked spinach. Never thought about adding spinach to smoothies but I’m thinking about it now. Good idea. Thanks.

    Vee at http://www.veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com

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  9. South Beach Steve

    I am not a huge spinach fan, but I do like it on a salad every now and then. I also have eaten it cooked, but I don’t do that unless there are no other options. I love veggies though. I also didn’t eat alot of veggies growing up, or for that matter until the last few years, but my taste buds have really changed to enjoy them.

  10. Susan

    I love spinach!! Unfortunately, I’m realizing that a lot of my stomach issues happen when I eat large amounts of raw vegetables, including spinach. So green smoothies with handfuls of raw spinach is out of the question for me. I should try it with cooked spinach though, because that doesn’t make my stomach do somersaults.

  11. Karyn

    Love spinach in those green smoothies of course and always have it in my salads. I also love to have creamed spinach. Sandwiches, pasta dishes, you name it. That reminds me, I am out of spinach right now so I better head to the store so I can have my green monster for breakfast! LOL.

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