SPINACH
www.whatweate.com/2005/05/21/spinach.jpg
BY: Kaitlyn Wawryk
History Of Spinach:
•Originally from Persia (now Iran) and most commonly found in the Middle
East.
•First Known as “aspankh”
•By the 1300’s spinach had spread to Europe and Britain where it was most
popular during Lent.
•Finally during the 19th Century, spinach was cultivated in North America.
•In more recent times the cartoon character “Popeye” has made spinach
more popular.
http://www.hungrymonster.com/foodfacts/food_facts.cfm?Pharse_vch=spinach&fid=6637
www.geocities.com/thomascris/popeye.jpg
luteinlab.unh.edu/chopping%20spinach.jpg
Buying and Storage of Spinach
•Even though spinach is available all year round, spinach is freshest and
best during the months of May through September.
•When selecting spinach you should look for the bright green, and tender
leaves.
•You should avoid wilted, yellow or damaged leaved.
•After buying spinach you should trim the root off, place it in a plastic
bag loosely in the refrigerator and it will stay fresh up to 2-3 days.
•Spinach is sold both loose and in bags, but the loose is easier to
evaluate for quality.
•Three Basic Types of Spinach
•Savoy: which is crinkly, curly leaves with dark green colors. Sold fresh
in bunches.
•Flatter Smooth Leaf: which is unwrinkled, spade-shaped leaves that are
easier to clean then Savoy. Used generally for canned or frozen foods,
such as soup or baby food.
•Semi-Savoy: most popular, which has slightly crinkled leaves, so they
are easier to clean than Savoy
http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/foods_view/1,1523,35,00.html
http://www.freshforkids.com.au/spinach.htm
Baby Spinach:
•Baby spinach is a relatively newcomer.
•It is very covenant because of it’s small leafs, that come pre-washed and
packaged.
Noticed in the picture,
baby spinach is prepackaged to be
convenient to
consumers.
http://www.ebfarm.com/Recipes/FoodFacts/BabySpinach.aspx
Nutrition Facts
Spinach provides more nutrients than most foods!!
Spinach is an excellent source
of vitamin A, vitamin K,
manganese and foliate.
It also is a source for fiber,
potassium vitamin C and much,
much more.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tna
me=foodspice&dbid=43
Spinach Nutritional Fact:
Serving Size : 1 1/2 cups shredded (85g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 40
Calories from Fat
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 160mg
7%
Total Carbohydrate 10g
3%
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sugars 5g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 70%
Vitamin C 25%
Calcium 6%
Iron 20%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower
depending on your calorie needs.
http://freshcutproduce.com/nutrifax/spinach.html
Oxalic Acid and Spinach:
•Oxalic acid binds with needed nutrients and makes them inaccessible to
the body.
•It mostly occurs with Calcium and Iron
•Great amounts of oxalic acid is found in spinach.
•One way to receive more nutrients from spinach by lowering the amount of
oxalic acid is by adding vinegar or a vinegar based dressing onto the
spinach before consumption.
•This is why many salad recipes for spinach suggest a vinegar based
dressing.
http://www.roadcycli
ng.com/news/article
1384.shtml
Benefits of Spinach:
•Spinach carotene combats against prostate cancer
•Helps your bones with vitamin K, almost 200% of daily value in one cup of
fresh spinach
•Spinach helps against cardiovascular disease from vitamin A, vitamin C,
foliate and magnesium.
•Colon cancer prevention.
•Provides Anti-inflammatory nutrients.
•A smarter brain with spinach!! – animal studies show, spinach helps protect
the brain from oxidative stress and reduces the effects of age related
declines in brain function.
•We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but
you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself
against osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other
diseases at the same time.
•Overall spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables around which helps
protect against many diseases that are increasingly common today.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=43
Recipes: Spinach Pie
Ingredients
1 pound frozen chopped spinach
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese (light or low-fat is okay)
3/4 cup milk
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
1 unbaked pie shell
Instructions
Cook and drain spinach (squeeze out water well). Blend in other
ingredients except half of Cheddar cheese. Mix well with spinach
and pour into pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and bake until cheese
melts, approximately 5 minutes.
Yield: 6 to 8 slices
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archieve/blv1.htm
cfa-www.harvard.edu/…/pics/spanakopita.jpg
Mixed Salad With Pears and Raisins Recipe
1 cup golden raisins
Water
1/2 pound mixed greens (baby spinach leaves also are good)
2 pears, cored and diced
2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
3 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt, to taste
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Instructions
Place the raisins in a medium bowl and cover with warm water. Allow
to soak at least 20 minutes, or until quite soft.
Toss the greens, pears and carrots together in a large bowl. Sprinkle
pine nuts and salt over the salad. Once the raisins have plumped,
drain and gently squeeze to remove excess water. Add the raisins to
the top of salad. Sprinkle the vinegar over the salad, then repeat with
olive oil.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archieve/blsalad76.htm
I’m Popeye the Sailorman
I’m Popeye the Sailorman
I’m strong to the finch
Cause I eats my spinach
I’m Popeye the Sailorman
http://www.hiehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/popeye.htm
thetoonspark.tripod.com/popeye%201956.jpg
Bibliography:
http://homecooking.about.com
http://whfoods.com
http://www.hungrymonster.com
http://www.freshforkids.com
http://www.geocities.com
http://www.wholehealthmd.com