Why Should I Eat Spinach?

Did you know that of all the vegetables that we should be eating each day, more of them should be leafy greens than anything else? In our house, this can be a challenge, especially when no one seems to like them. Well, to date, I have been able to increase the amount of spinach our family eats, so I’ll take the win and keep working on all the others while I eat my kale and brussel sprouts alone.

So how do we do it? It isn’t as difficult as you might think and I have barely scratched the surface. It has taken planning and most importantly awareness.

So for starters, did you know there are two common kinds of spinach readily available? If you’ve ever taken the time to explore the spinach on your grocer’s shelf, you’ll notice there’s something called baby spinach. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between regular spinach and baby spinach, you’re not alone. I used to think, “It’s all spinach, right?”. It is, but I have learned that baby spinach has a milder and slightly sweeter flavor than traditional spinach. So, when I go to grab my spinach, I grab the baby spinach. Not only does it taste better, but it is usually easier to throw into my food because the leaves are smaller.

Then there’s the pure nutrient power that spinach brings to my plate. What is it about spinach that makes it so mighty? It’s packed full of iron, calcium (yes, calcium), folate, vitamin B6, vitamin A, just to name a few. Not to mention that it’s low is sugar and carbohydrates. That’s a win in every way if you ask me! If you want to learn more, here’s the article I found the most helpful.

So, one of my favorite options to feed spinach to my family is “sneak” it into foods, like Spinach Pesto. It’s amazing and no one could tell you there is spinach in your basil pesto. Try this recipe and tell me that you don’t love it too!

One of my favorite options for spinach is Spinach Pesto. It’s amazing and no one could tell you there is spinach in your basil pesto. Try this recipe and tell me that you don’t love it too!

SPINACH BASIL PESTO
Makes 1/4 cup

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Juice and zest of one small lemon
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Blend the spinach, basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a food processor or strong blender until almost smooth.
2. Store in a clean airtight container for up to 5 days.