I have really been trying to increase the amount of vegetables I eat in a day. As you can see from the Great Veggie Experiment, this is one area that is a struggle for me since I was a youngin, but I decided to just go ahead and live dangerously and try something new fairly often. We always need to challenge ourselves, right?
I bought a ginormous bag of spinach at the store on Sunday, all cleaned and prepped, which is way easier than buying the bunch spinach. I think the price is pretty comparable when you consider taking the leaves off the stems. So, the last couple days have included the Big Green Smoothie!
This looks like a Magic Window, only green (anyone else remember these??) . If you have yet to jump on the spinach smoothie bandwagon, I urge you to do so. You really cannot taste it – this one had at least 2 cups of spinach it it (plus honey, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, ice, and water). I kind of laugh at myself that I have to ‘fool’ myself into eating vegetables, but you know – whatever works, right? If only I had a true love for veggies growing up, I think trying to lose weight would have been a lot easier in the past.
Anyway – on to the wonderful benefits of spinach! Time fer some lernin!
Spinach is really one of those superfoods. It can have healthy benefits on the following systems:
- Eyes – Lutein, vitamin A (2 cups has 150% of your RDA!)
- Bones – Calcium
- Skin – Vitamin C and A, antioxidants
- Heart – Folic acid, antioxidants, potassium, magnesium
- Brain – Folate, vitamin C
- Muscles – Protein and amino acids
What a great food! And to think that I really thought I disliked it, or only found it tolerable as part of a cheesy spinach dip LOL!
Question: Do you eat spinach? If so, what is your favorite way to eat (or drink!) it?
I have been buying these ginormous bags of spinach at the Farmer’s Market every week and use every last leaf – I was so bummed when they didn’t have any this week!
I put spinach in EVERYTHING – scrambled with egg whites, pasta sauces, mixed in with turkey or chicken for meatballs or meatloaf, salads…I even tried one of these smoothies about a week ago – wow was it good! Here’s to better luck at finding my 3.5 pound bag of it next week!
Like Pam, I put spinach in everything and use it as the greens in all our salads. I may have to try out the smoothie thing. I think I’ll have to buy a good blender first.
Do health food stores/smoothie places sell these? I’d hate to buy a fancy pants blender only to hate the smoothies. Hmm. I might have to try before I buy.
Thanks for the reminder.
I eat spinich in salads. I like it, but don’t eat near enough of it!
Spinach is my choice for “lettuce” too. If I don’t get through the whole box (washed baby spinach) before it starts to wilt, then it gets thrown into a pasta dish. (Whole wheat penne, tomatoes, spinach, basil, and feta makes my favourite.) None is wasted.
I eat it – in salads (usually combined with romaine lettuce). But I am going to make a green smoothie tomorrow – I’ve been working up to trying one for a while now, and seeing the picture of your smoothie has convinced me!
I have been drinking green smoothies too, only sometimes she puts kale in them as well, and there is always fruit. Yumm. Its a little hard for me to ignore the green color. Growing up I loved veggies, and one of my favorite was the chopped frozen spinach. I loved that stuff! Funny I never think of it as an adult. I don’t buy frozen food that much. But I might have to try cooking it again. I like it in salads too, and on pizza.
Isn’t that funny – I totally love the green color! When I did it with strawberries it was brownish and unappealing to me.
I just love spinach. I put it on my sandwiches and also in my salads and soups. I am growing spinach and I just got home from a 24 day vacation and my garden of spinach, lettuce and tons of other vegetables are ready to be picked.
I am going to try that spinach smoothie one day.
My Son won’t eat many greens, but he’ll eat raw spinach. Just puts a leaf at a time in his mouth, sometimes minus the stems, and munches until they are all gone.
I will sometimes do that or add to my green salad. I HATE cooked spinach. Never thought about adding spinach to smoothies but I’m thinking about it now. Good idea. Thanks.
Vee at http://www.veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com
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I am not a huge spinach fan, but I do like it on a salad every now and then. I also have eaten it cooked, but I don’t do that unless there are no other options. I love veggies though. I also didn’t eat alot of veggies growing up, or for that matter until the last few years, but my taste buds have really changed to enjoy them.
I love spinach!! Unfortunately, I’m realizing that a lot of my stomach issues happen when I eat large amounts of raw vegetables, including spinach. So green smoothies with handfuls of raw spinach is out of the question for me. I should try it with cooked spinach though, because that doesn’t make my stomach do somersaults.
I find it a bit bitter in salads, but I love it in sandwiches and wraps. And in Green Monsters of course!
Love spinach in those green smoothies of course and always have it in my salads. I also love to have creamed spinach. Sandwiches, pasta dishes, you name it. That reminds me, I am out of spinach right now so I better head to the store so I can have my green monster for breakfast! LOL.