MEDINDIA

Search Medindia

Super Foods - Spinach

Popeyes Food : Spinach

If mothers were to give credit for making spinach popular amongst kids the crown would certainly go to Popeye - the sailor man!! This cartoon series infused in children the desire to be strong and intelligent like Popeye. In the process motivating them to consume spinach and become healthy. 

History 

Spinach traces its roots to Persia (now Iran). It then travelled to China when gifted by the King of Nepal. Then came the Europeans, in fact for a long time it was called the "Spanish vegetable". A special favourite of a historical figure from Florence till today dishes made with a bed of spinach are called "a la Florentine".

From the botanical perspective 

The dark green leaves of the plant are consumed as food. Spinach belongs to the family Chenopodiaceae, the same as beets. The botanists prefer to call it Spinacia oleracea. It grows well in temperate regions. USA and Netherlands are the largest producers of spinach. It has three distinct types: - savoy, smooth-leaf and semi-savoy.

Spinach, raw

The nutritional values of "Spinach, raw" per 100 grams are:
Nutrition Summary
Total Calories 23
Protein 2.9 g
Fat 0.4 g
Carbohydrate 3.6 g
NutrientsAmount%Daily Value
Calcium, Ca 99 mg 9.9 %
Copper, Cu 0.13 mg 6.5 %
Iron, Fe 2.71  mg 15.056 %
Magnesium, Mg 79 mg 19.75 %
Manganese, Mn 0.897 mg 44.85 %
Phosphorus, P 49 mg 4.9 %
Potassium, K 558  mg 15.943 %
Selenium, Se 1 mcg 1.429 %
Sodium, Na 79 mg 3.292 %
Zinc, Zn 0.53 mg 3.533 %
Vitamin A 9377  IU 187.54 %
Vitamin C 28.1 mg 46.833 %
Vitamin B6 0.195 mg 9.75 %
Vitamin E 2.03 mg 6.767 %
Vitamin K 482.9  mcg 603.625 %
Riboflavin 0.189  mg 11.118 %
Thiamin 0.078 mg 5.2 %
Folate, DFE 194  mcg 48.5 %
Niacin 0.724  mg 3.62 %
Sugars 0.42 g
Fiber 2.2  g 8.8 %
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
Water 91.4 g
Carotene, alpha 0 mcg
Carotene, beta 5626  mcg
Choline 19.3 mg
Lycopene 0  mcg
View all +
Data source: USDA Nutrient Database, R25
*Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie reference diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

Post a Comment

Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. The editorial team reserves the right to review and moderate the comments posted on the site.

Comments

guest - Aug 07, 2008

Soybean is said to absorb the highest amount of chemicals from the fertilizers in the process of growing. Hence it is harmful. What do u say?

Recommended Reading

Consult Dietitian Online

View All

⬆️