How to Cook Spinach

Eat your spinach, drink the spinach soup, and so on and so forth. Haven't we heard this before, our doctors say it, our parents do, even our grandparents do, and not without good reason though. Spinach is full of nutritional value and health benefits, which is why it is important to know the right method of cooking it, to ensure that it does not lose its nutritional value during cooking. So let us understand its nutritional value before we get down to finding easy ways to cook leafy spinach.

Spinach Nutritional Value

Following is a spinach nutritional value table, that could vary depending upon the way and form (raw or cooked) it's consumed. Nevertheless, what does not change are the health benefits one can derive. The following table is for one cup of raw spinach, equivalent to 30gm.

Nutrient	Nutritional Value
Water	27.4 g
Calories	6.9 calories
Protein	0.9 g
Calcium	29.7 mg
Iron	0.8 mg
Folate	58.2 mcg
Potassium	167 mg
Magnesium	23.7 mg
Phosphorous	14.7 mg
Sodium	23.7 mg
Carbohydrates	1.1 g
Dietary Fiber	0.7 g
Total Fat	0.1 mg

As we can see from the table, spinach is one of the most nutritious leafy greens with negligible amounts of fat and carbohydrates and has many health benefits. It has the potential to prevent arteries from hardening (atherosclerosis) and stabilizing blood sugar. Regular consumption also ensures proper iron and folate levels in the blood. In fact, to combat anemia, iron is the most recommended vegetable, besides carrot and beet.

Ways to Cook Spinach

Select spinach that is young, especially if you plan to eat it raw. The stems should be slender and leaves a bright green. The leaves should look and feel fresh. Preferably buy organically grown spinach. One can grow them at home too. That way you will always have a fresh supply at hand. Snip the spinach stems and wash them under running water. Being leafy, dirt can easily deposit itself on the underside of the leaves. Look for tiny insects too (humans aren't the only ones who like this green). Place it on a large colander to drain excess water out. There are two ways to cook it without making a mess out of its nutritional value.

• Blanching: Drop spinach in very hot boiling water and immediately cover it. Strain the spinach after just a couple of minutes, this way the leaves will be firm, yet cooked. Blanching is great for making spinach salads or baking them.
• Steaming: Steam spinach in a steamer over boiling water for not more than five minutes. Another way is to drain the spinach out and place it a pot over medium heat, and cover it. The heat will use the droplets left on spinach after wash and the spinach's own water content to steam. This way takes just five minutes too. Steamed spinach goes well with meat and chicken baked and cooked dishes, and even to make soup.

Most vegetables are very nutritious in their raw state, it's usually the way and medium of cooking that depletes it of its vital nutrients. So, the next time you cook spinach, use the methods given above to retain its nutritional value.