Fresh, tender, and incredibly versatile, spinach is a favorite in plant-based cooking. You can add it to smoothies, toss it into salads, stir it into pasta dishes, or easily add it to soups, wraps, and sautés. Mild in flavor yet packed with wholesome goodness, spinach adds a fresh and vibrant touch to all kinds of plant-based meals.
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The Health Benefits of Spinach
When it comes to nutritious foods, spinach ranks pretty high on the list—few sources of vitamin K rival spinach. Vitamin K is essential for both blood clotting and bone health. Some research shows it may help decrease inflammation, a condition of many diseases, including Alzheimer’s, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart disease. As a leafy green, spinach is an amazingly high-quality source of antioxidants. It’s also high in vitamins B6 and C, as well as iron, folate, and magnesium.
How to Buy Spinach
Look for strong, unwilted, bright green leaves without slimy or dark spots. Buying from local growers will decrease the amount of time from farm to table. Fresh spinach tends to taste best in the spring and fall, but don’t let that stop you from reaping the benefits of this leafy green throughout the year.
How to Store Spinach
Wrap the spinach in paper towels, then store it in a plastic bag in your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer. The paper towels will keep moisture away from the leaves, helping them to stay fresher longer. Whether you purchase prebagged or loose-leaf, spinach should last three to four days. You can also freeze spinach. Frozen spinach is great for smoothies or for tossing into a pot of soup! Just lay the leaves out in a single layer, or give them a rough chop, then place them evenly on a baking sheet and pop them in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. Use frozen spinach within 3 months.
How to Prepare Spinach
Rinse the leaves right before using, even if the spinach is labeled “prewashed,” and use a salad spinner to dry the leaves or gently pat them dry. For crisp salad leaves, refrigerate for 1 to or hours. To benefit from spinach’s fat-soluble nutrients, cook the leaves with a healthy fat, such as extra-virgin olive oil. Sauté the spinach in the oil with minced garlic over medium heat until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon for a nutrient boost.
The Spinach and Popeye Phenomenon
During its run in the 1930’s, the fictional cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man boosted spinach sales by 33 percent. Children everywhere cited it as their third-favorite food, making spinach a top-selling vegetable in 1933.
Looking for more plant-based basics? Visit our Nutrition Guide.