I am calling it now — spinach is going to be your favourite leafy green veg this year and is going to be in almost all of your meals.
You’re going to be throwing it mindlessly into every savoury dish you eat and maybe even just eating leaves directly from the bag while you wait for your tea to brew.
That might just be a ‘me’ thing, though....
Why is this? Well, spinach is versatile, often quite cheap and is mildly flavoured, meaning that including it in your favourite soups and stews won’t change the taste of them but will make them that bit better for you.
Right now, most major supermarkets sell bags of frozen spinach for £2 or under, meaning you can make the most of this versatile vegetable without breaking the bank.
Plus, frozen spinach is just as good as fresh when it comes to nutrients.
Speaking of those nutrients, the best reason to incorporate spinach into your diet is that it is incredibly beneficial for your health and wellbeing.
The health benefits of spinach
The health benefits really are the best part, and they’ll motivate you to make spinach a mainstay of your diet.
According to BBC Good Food, spinach:
- May help maintain good vision
- May support energy levels
- May support heart health
- May support healthy bones
- May help in our fight against cancer
- Has protective antioxidant properties
- Useful source of fibre
- May help weight management
- may reduce the adverse effects of a high-fat diet
- May support mental health
A study published in Nature even found that “consumption of approximately one serving per day of green leafy vegetables and foods rich in phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol may help to slow cognitive decline with ageing”.
Basically... it’s the original and best superfood.
What happens if you eat too much spinach?
Those at risk of developing kidney stones should keep their consumption levels under 100mg a day, or 50mg if they’re very likely to develop them; raw spinach contains 970mg per 100g according to Clinical Nutrition Research.