Spinach, one of the world's healthiest foods

A single half cup of cooked spinach (90 grams) contains a lot of nutrients - including many of the nutrients people need and often lack in their unbalanced diets. It makes a great way to rectify that problem by re-balancing your diet.

Note: 90 grams of cooked spinach is only 8 tablespoons.

vitamin K 493.6% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin A 52.4% of your Recommended Daily Intake

manganese 42% of your Recommended Daily Intake

folate 32.9% of your Recommended Daily Intake

magnesium 19.5% of your Recommended Daily Intake

iron 17.9% of your Recommended Daily Intake

copper 17.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin B2 16.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin B6 13.9% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin E 12.5% of your Recommended Daily Intake

calcium 12.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

potassium 12.0% of your Recommended Daily Intake

vitamin C 11.8% of your Recommended Daily Intake

fiber 8.6% of your Recommended Daily Intake

phosphorus 7.2% of your Recommended Daily Intake

And many more nutritious things in a single half cup of spinach.

And if you're thinking "yuck", remember a half cup is only 8 tablespoons (or roughly 4 heaping tablespoons) - which means you get all that nutritional value from eating a mere 4 gulps worth.

Spinach is also high in antioxidants (which prevents / fights cancer, and slows down the aging process).

Spinach also fights inflammation of the digestive tract - so if you have problems with that region, this is a good food to be eating.

Spinach is especially valuable for fighting prostate cancer. And getting rid of constipation, and for fighting stomach ulcers.

According to various nutritional groups, they list spinach as being the world's most healthiest foods. Other groups list it in their top 5 or top 10 - the exact placement varies on the organization, but its constant presence in the top 'whatever' lists of healthiest foods shows that it deserves to be there.

Spinach also helps prevent osteoporosis. This is because it contains a combination of vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium - all three are needed for healthy bones.

Unlike other veggies, cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits. Half a cup of spinach is actually more nutritious than 3 cups of uncooked spinach. (Raw spinach is too hard to break down by itself, it needs to be cooked so the nutritional value is released.)

Blended uncooked spinach is another good way to eat spinach - it also breaks down the fibre and makes it more nutritious.

Baby spinach or smaller leaf spinach is the healthiest of spinach to eat.

A little spinach goes a long way. Add just a bit to your pasta for some extra flavour and reap the health benefits.