English spinach is a delicious addition to all kinds of dishes. It has a delicate flavour that’s enhanced by other ingredients, and it can be eaten raw or cooked. It’s used in cuisines throughout the world – from Indian to Italian – and is available between May and October in Australia. It can be used in salads, vegetable dishes, pies, frittatas, soups, stuffings, pasta fillings and fritters.
To Buy
Look for fresh-looking, bright-green spinach. Its leaves should be free of any discoloured patches
To Store
Store spinach in a plastic bag in the crisper section of your fridge for 2 to 3 days
To Prepare
If spinach leaves are large, you may need to remove the stems before cooking – to do this, fold each leaf in half then use your fingers to tear the stem out, from root to tip. Wash spinach well then drain until completely dry.
Spinach is a good source of vitamin C. Among other benefits, this vitamin helps with wound healing, as well as helping to maintain healthy gums. Spinach is a good source of folate – one of the B vitamins which helps the body’s cells to grow normally. As well, spinach is a very good source of beta-carotene, which our bodies convert to vitmain A. This vitamin is important for healthy eyes. Although spinach contains iron, the iron is not well absorbed.
| Quantity per serve (80g) | Quantity per 100g | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 50kJ | 65kJ |
| Protein | 2.0g | 2.5g |
| Fat, total | 0.2g | 0.3g |
| -saturated | 0.0g | 0.0g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.5g | 0.6g |
| -sugars | 0.5g | 0.6g |
| Sodium | 17mg | 21mg |
| Dietary fibre | 2.2g | 2.7g |
| Vitamin A equivalents | 310mcg | 390mcg |
| Folate | 120mcg | 150mcg |
| Vitamin C | 22mg | 27mg |
| Potassium | 455mg | 570mg |
QUANTITIES STATED ABOVE ARE AVERAGES ONLY
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