Many of us stumble upon the produce aisle, thinking about what the family enjoys, especially the kids who can be picky eaters. One of the things that you should always bring home is some greens and one of the best is spinach. This leafy green is packed with healthy nutrients and you can eat it both cooked and raw.
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Spinach one of those vegetables that are available year-round and it is filled with vitamins and minerals that are essential to our health. Spinach is packed with potassium, manganese, zinc, magnesium, calcium, folate, niacin, vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin B6, beta carotene, lutein and many more.
Good for your eyes: It’s a rich source of beta carotene, lutein, and xanthene, which is good for your eyesight. It can help with itchy eyes, eye ulcers and dry eyes. Good for people that spend all day in front of a computer!
Maintains blood pressure: It’s high it potassium and low in sodium, which is why it’s good for those that suffer from high blood pressure. It helps relax the tension of vessels and arteries, plus it can help reduce stress on the cardiovascular system and increase oxygen to your organs.
Anti-inflammatory: Helps relieve bloating and even relieves inflammation associated with arthritis and gout.
Protects skin: Spinach has phytonutrients and pigments that can help protect the skin from harmful rays of the sun. They also help repair damaged genes, therefore preventing skin cancer in the long run.
Boosts metabolism: It is filled with protein, which helps with muscle development and growth, helps heal wounds and gives your metabolism the boost it needs to function properly.
Cancer-fighter: It is rich in folate, tocopherol, and chlorophyllin, which not only helps prevent cancer, but also these nutrients help protect those suffering with cancer.
How to Eat It?
It’s always best to eat it fresh, but if you’re at the supermarket and can’t decide between getting the baby spinach and the large leafy ones, always go for the baby spinach since they are less bitter and same great nutrients.
Cooking half a cup of spinach can give you three times the nutrition that raw spinach does. This is because the human body can’t completely break down the nutrients in raw spinach. If you don’t like it cooked, then blend it into a smoothie, which helps break it down and it’s the healthiest way to consume it. Frozen spinach is the least healthy way to eat spinach because you lose some of the nutrients when it gets frozen.
Check out this simple recipe for a delicious Spinach & Strawberry Salad!