One of the world’s most popular superfoods, spinach has its own day of celebration on March 26th. This versatile and tasty leafy green is a great source of a number of key vitamins and can be added to dishes to boost the nutritional value.
Alongside National Spinach Day, UK Registered Nutritionist and Chef, Lily Keeling, from recipe box delivery service Green Chef has revealed the best ways of adding more spinach to your diet, along with the added health benefits.
What is spinach a good source of?
Spinach is considered a superfood because it’s rich in key nutrients and vitamins to help support general wellbeing.
Lily comments,
“Adding spinach to your diet is a great way to boost your vitamin C, calcium and iron levels, as this leafy green is one of the most easily available and nutrient dense vegetables.
“Spinach is also high in vitamin K, which is vital for supporting overall health and wellbeing. It is also low in calories and packed with fibre and can be eaten both raw and cooked.
“This combination of key nutrients is crucial for maintaining a well balanced diet and boosting your immune system.”
Tips for adding more spinach to your diet
With a palatable taste, Lily suggests spinach can be added to a number of dishes and meals to increase your intake. Including:
Smoothies
Lily recommends one of the easiest ways to boost your spinach intake is to add leaves to your fruity smoothie recipes.
“Spinach doesn’t have a particularly strong taste or smell, which means it’s great for sweet smoothies.
“Add this vegetable alongside a protein source such as Greek yoghurt to keep you fuller for longer. And to sweeten the taste, add berries for a burst of vitamins, bananas for potassium and citric fruits such as oranges, lemons and kiwis.”
“These recipes can also be frozen and eaten as a refreshing ice lolly – especially in the summer!”
Sauces and marinades
The age-old trick of adding blended veg to a pasta sauce or marinade is a great hack for adding more spinach to your everyday diet.
Lily suggests either blending, or finely chopping the spinach for a smooth texture, without compromising on flavour. This method allows you to sneak in extra nutrients without affecting the taste of your favourite comfort dishes.
Pizza toppings
For a quick and easy trick for increasing your spinach intake, Lily recommends sprinkling either whole leaves, or chopped spinach for a nutritious pizza topping.
Lily’s top tip for avoiding wilted spinach is to lightly sauté with a bit of olive oil and garlic before scattering it over the pizza.
Additionally, consider pairing the spinach with complementary ingredients like feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, or olives for a flavour-packed and nutritional combination.
Soups
Spinach is a great addition to a number of soup recipes to enhance the flavour and nutritional value. Lily suggests adding spinach to vegetable, tomato or carrot and coriander soup to complement the flavours.
Lily’s top tip when it comes to adding spinach is to finely chop or blend the spinach first. If leaves are added whole, they can become soggy and leave you with an undesirable texture in your dish.
Baked goods
For those with a sweet tooth, don’t forget to add spinach to your baking dishes too!
Because the taste of spinach is easy to conceal, Lily says you can even add this vegetable to baked goods, such as cupcakes. Even better, spinach can be used as a natural food colouring agent. The more you add, the deeper the green colour, great for kids birthday parties and Halloween events!
