In The Kitchen with Laura McKenna: Ways To Cheat More Spinach Into Your Diet

March 26th is National Spinach Day and there is a reason that Popeye is such a big fan!   This particular leafy green packs a serious punch when it comes to nutrition.   It’s loaded!

Imagine getting over 400% of your daily dose of Vitamin K in less than a cup.  That’s just some of the magic of spinach!

Then again, maybe you’re wondering what does Vitamin K actually do for you?  It keeps your bones strong.  It can help your blood to clot and promote healing at the site of injury.  Studies have shown it may even reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.  It’s also been known to help ladies suffering from morning sickness.

But Vitamin K is only one of the many nutrients in spinach.  It has way more than that including Vitamin A, folate, manganese, and Vitamin C.  Plus magnesium, riboflavin, iron, Vitamin E, copper, potassium, Vitamin B6…just to name a few.   To help you have some smooth moves, it’s also packed with fiber.  Just be warned because if you eat a lot of green foods, your poo may look a little greenish, too.  Nothing to worry about but just remember it’s the spinach!

The average American today eats about 1.5 pounds of this leafy green vegetable every year.  I probably skew those numbers a bit because I eat a LOT of spinach which is great unless you’re prone to kidney stones or have blood clotting issues (then you’ll want to be careful as spinach could create issues for people with those conditions).  Luckily, I don’t have those problems because like Popeye, “I’m strong to the finish cause I eat me spinach!”

However, like broccoli and other leafy greens, there are people who snub their nose at all the green wonders of the culinary world.  Ugh, what a shame!

I’m not saying to try and trick your family into eating more spinach but a little sly sneaking could go a long way.

SMOOTHIES & SALADS
This is probably the easiest way.  Toss a few handfuls of spinach into the salad bowl for extra flavor and nutrients.   Likewise, don’t be afraid to add some spinach leaves to a fruit smoothie.  They’ll blend up nicely and won’t drastically change the fruity flavor.  In fact, your family might not even notice.

MY FAVORITE WAY:  LASAGNA
I love using spinach in my lasagna.   In fact, I never make one without it.   You can do a layer of fresh leaves (because they’ll shrink down and bake right in) or simply use a package of frozen chopped spinach.   If I make lasagna using the frozen spinach, I will let it thaw and squeeze the excess liquid out. Definitely don’t forget to squeeze it! Then I mix the spinach into my cottage cheese and slather that layer into the lasagna.  It blends well into ricotta if you prefer that over cottage cheese in your lasagna.  Either way, adding spinach to Italian cuisines- YUM! It’s so delicious.

SAUTE AWAY
If you’re not familiar with how fast spinach cooks down (and how much it shrinks up), prepare to be delighted.   Add it into any sauce or dish towards the end of the cooking time and you’ll be shocked at how quickly it just sautés right in there.   Or put it in a pan by itself over low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently, and it’ll cook down to just a small, green, smooshy ball of yum.   Then mix the cooked spinach in wherever you want or season it up and use it to top other items or as a side dish.
Raw or cooked- it’s great!

SOUP
Like I always say about soup- JUST THROW IT IN. Spinach is no exception. Raw, frozen, doesn’t matter at all. Don’t worry that you’re adding too much. That’s the beauty of soup- the more the merrier. Just throw it in! Whether from scratch or just taking a handful of raw spinach leaves and adding it to a bowl of canned soup and then heating, it’ll cook down and taste like it should have always been there from the start!

But what is the healthier way to eat spinach- cooked or raw?  It all depends on what you’re going for:

Cooked spinach provides more:

• Calcium.
• Vitamin A.
• Carotenoids.
• Fiber.
• Iron.
• Protein.
• Zinc.

Raw spinach provides more:

• Folate.
• Lutein.
• Vitamin C.

So if you aren’t all in on leafy greens, spinach is a great gateway green to dip your toes into one of my favorite colors of the food rainbow.   Popeye, approved!

Want to contact Laura McKenna about some of your favorite kitchen tricks or recipes that you love? Anything else on your mind? Email anytime, she’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
And tune in weekdays starting at 10am to St. Croix Country & WCFW!