Long before kale hit the scene as a superfood in the mid-2000s, spinach was being touted by Popeye the Sailor Man as a muscle packing superfood starting as far back as 1929.

Popeye may have been onto something. Although kale has more vitamin K, and vitamin C, than spinach, spinach has substantially greater amounts of manganese, copper, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), iron, folate, magnesium, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin E, fiber, vitamin B1 (thiamine), phosphorus, protein, and calcium.

A dark leafy green vegetable, spinach is not in the cabbage family as are many of the other greens we grow. Instead, it is from the same family as amaranth and is closely related to beets, Swiss chard, and quinoa.

Spinach thrives in cool weather and short days so we love growing it in the Fall, Winter, and early Spring growing seasons.

Spinach originated from Central and Western Asia but has been incorporated into cuisine around the world.

With its generally mild flavor and tender leaves, it can be eaten raw in fresh garden salads, on sandwiches, wilted or cooked as a savory side dish, added to pizza, and enchiladas or as a standalone dish like one of our favorites, quiche.

Spinach is an excellent source of calcium, copper, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin E, and vitamin K. It is a very good source of choline, fiber, phosphorus, protein, vitamin B1 (thiamine), pantothenic acid, selenium, vitamin B3 (niacin) and zinc. While not a high fat food, spinach is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Spinach is packed with phytonutrients such as flavonoids and carotenoids which have anti-inflammatory properties which in turn can reduce the risk of cancer, especially in the digestive tract, and is rich in chlorophyll which can help regulate hunger, and blood sugar levels. Spinach is also very high in dietary nitrates which have been shown to improve athletic performance.

We hope you will consider adding spinach to your diet so you can reap the high nutrition and multiple health benefits it offers.