Spinach is a very popular leafy vegetable in many parts of the world. Scientific name of spinach is Spinacia oleracea and it belongs to the family Chenopodiaceae. Spinach is also known by the names ‘true spinach’ and ‘English spinach’. Spinach is believed to be originated in South-West Asia.

Food Uses of Spinach: Spinach is mainly grown for its edible leaves which are considered as one of the highly nutritious leafy vegetables that are available today for human consumption. Food value and nutritive value of spinach greens are very high and there are very few vegetable greens which equal the nutritive value of spinach greens. These are the excellent source of dietary fiber, antioxidant vitamins and minerals. The tender and succulent leaves of spinach are used in salad preparations, soups and omelettes. Ripe spinach greens may be cooked as a main vegetable dish or may be used as a side ingredient along with other vegetables. Over-consumption of spinach greens must be avoided due to the presence of oxalates in the leaves.

Nutrition in Raw, Spinach Greens: According to USDA Nutrient Database, spinach greens are loaded with health-enriching nutrients. 100g of edible portion of fresh spinach greens provides about 23kcal of energy and is moisture-rich with 91.4g of water present in it. Approximately, 2.86g protein, 0.39g fat, 3.63g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, and 0.42g sugars are present in 100g of fresh spinach. Spinach greens are an excellent source of health-enriching unsaturated fatty acids such as Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) and Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA). It contains 0.165g PUFA and 0.063g MUFA. These leafy greens are a powerhouse of minerals and vitamins also. A detailed account of minerals and vitamins present in 100g of raw spinach greens is: Calcium-99 mg, Iron-2.71 mg, Magnesium-79 mg, Phosphorus-49 mg, Potassium-558 mg, Sodium-79 mg, Zinc-0.53 mg, Vitamin C-28.1 mg, Thiamin-0.078 mg, Riboflavin-0.189 mg, Niacin-0.724 mg, Vitamin B-6-0.195 mg, Folate-194 Aug, Vitamin A-9377 IU, Vitamin E-2.03 mg and Vitamin K-482.9 Aug.

Nutrition in Cooked Spinach Greens: According to USDA, 100g of COOKED (boiled) spinach provides about 23kcal of energy. It is moisture-rich with 91.21g of water. About 2.97g protein, 0.26g fat, 3.75g carbohydrates, 2.4g fiber, 0.43g sugars, 0.043g of saturated fatty acids, 0.006g of MUFA and 0.109g of PUFA are also present in 100g of cooked spinach.

In fact, nutrition in raw spinach and boiled spinach is almost similar; however, culinary preparations with boiled spinach taste better. Remember never to waste the boiled water as it contains water-soluble nutrients.

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