Now everyone leads a healthy lifestyle and leans on vegetables and fruits. Bran, fiber, algae and greens are slowly replacing sausage and Olivier on our tables. But there is one product that was popular even before the word healthy lifestyle was even invented. Meet spinach. An annual plant with wide, fleshy leaves, which are used for food. What what is the use of spinach and how to cook it, we will tell in this article.
- What makes spinach so popular
- Why you should include spinach in menu: benefits and calorie content
- How to cook spinach so that even children can eat it
What makes spinach so popular
At the end of the 19th century, a scientist from Germany, Erich von Wolf, decided to experimentally calculate the amount of iron (Fe) contained in various plants. When transferring data to a notebook, the scientist did not put a decimal separator there, thereby increasing the iron content in spinach leaves by 10 times! In 30s his recordings were transcribed in America and literally shocked the public. It's time for spinach — "iron" a plant that will make anyone as strong and durable as Popeye the sailor.
They only thought of revising the data in 70s s. At that time, spinach became one of the most popular foods in the USA and gradually conquered the whole world. In fairness, it's not just that everyone believed in its magical properties. Spinach is relatively easy to prepare, there are plenty of options for dishes with it, and its taste does not interrupt the taste of other ingredients.
In 2015, global spinach production was around 25 000 tons. Every year, the volumes are slightly, but growing. This is facilitated by the popularization of a healthy diet & nbsp; and, yes, the benefits of spinach have already been proven without any errors. We can safely say that this is one of the healthiest types of greens and it definitely deserves to be included in your diet.
Read also: Broccoli: benefits and tips for correct use
Why you should include spinach in menu: benefits and calorie content
First of all, spinach — low-calorie (23 kcal/100 g.) product with neutral taste. This alone explains its popularity: it saturates, but does lead to exceeding the daily calorie intake. In addition, spinach is rich in protein, it contains almost 3 grams (per 100 grams of fresh leaves). Spinach also contains a lot of iodine, iron and mineral salts. Most of these substances are retained even after heat treatment.
Like all plants, spinach — a source of fiber. It is necessary for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, and also for the flow of intercellular metabolic processes. It is the lack of fiber in the diet that is considered the cause of many diseases of modern man. Side dishes familiar to us: cereals, potatoes, pasta, do not solve this problem. Spinach can also act as a side dish for meat, fish, and also become the basis of a vegetarian menu.
The benefits of spinach don't end there. It is also a source of folic acid (vitamin B9), and it is so abundant in that for the first time this vitamin was synthesized from spinach.
Folic acid is essential for the normal development and functioning of the circulatory and immune systems. We do not get enough of it with food, as mostly it is in green vegetables, namely their we eat catastrophically little.
Should everyone lean on spinach, the benefits of which are so great? No, and first of all, people with urolithiasis should beware. Spinach is high in oxalic acid, which can lead to oxalaturia (formation of oxalate kidney stones). Heat treatment helps, but not significantly, after it the acid content decreases by only 15%. Empirically, it has not yet been unambiguously proven that eating spinach leads to such a disease. But if there are problems with kidneys, it is not worth the risk.
Read also: Top 13 Foods Good for Liver Health
How to cook spinach so that even children can eat it
So, spinach is good for everyone, and it appears attractively: bright green, elastic leaves just ask to become a decoration for any dish. Alas, but children and most often men do not share this delight. The prospect of dining on grass that tastes like...grass is usually not very enthusiastic. Let's share some tricks on how to make spinach your family's favorite food.
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Try cooking cabbage rolls using spinach instead of cabbage leaves. The dish will turn out beautiful and bright, and neutral leaves will perfectly set off the taste of the filling.
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Add spinach to green borscht, it dilutes the sorrel sourness and makes the soup taste more subtle and interesting.
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If you mix chopped spinach with grated cheese, garlic and sour cream, you get an original and tasty filling for hot sandwiches, lavash rolls, pizza.
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Blender-blended spinach can be added to homemade ice cream or creams. It will give a saturated color and dilute the sugary-sweet taste.
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Also, spinach will "decorate" pancakes or pancakes. You can add spinach puree to the dough, after adding salt or sugar to it to taste.
Try to experiment on your own, since spinach is just made for culinary delights. It's hard to mess up, goes well with any ingredients, and is available for sale all year round. Eat right and tasty, and it will definitely affect for the better health and and your mood.
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