BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — March is National Nutrition Month, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging people to “Put Their Best Fork Forward” by cooking more meals at home. Jenna Smith, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator & registered dietitian says, “Spinach is one ingredient that makes cooking more meals at home a cinch due to its versatility and quick-cooking.”
Spinach is not just for Popeye; it is for all those boys and girls or men and women who want to be healthy and enjoy a good green! However, if you think it is packed full of iron and will make your muscles big, you may have been a tad misled. History has it that a German chemist misplaced a decimal point and listed a 100-gram serving as having 35 milligrams of iron rather than the true amount of 3.5 milligrams. Nonetheless, according to Smith, “Spinach is highly regarded in the nutritional world and is considered a powerful superfood.”
This dark leafy green is an excellent source of vitamins A and K. It is also a good source of folate, fiber, and calcium. However, while spinach has a good amount of calcium in it, it also has high levels of oxalic acid, which works to bind calcium and reduce its absorption. Spinach, like tomatoes, is a vegetable that provides more nutrients cooked rather than raw. Heat breaks down the cell walls of spinach and releases disease-fighting antioxidants. Smith warns that you should not let that stop you from eating raw spinach, which is still highly nutritious. Eat it as a salad, on top of sandwiches and wraps, or packed into smoothies.
There are different varieties of spinach, but most are familiar with flat or smooth-leaf spinach, which has flat, spade-shape leaves. Baby spinach is very young and usually the flat variety. Always wash fresh spinach right before use. Spinach can easily be sautéed in a small amount of oil for a rapid 3-minute side dish. Of course, you can also use it in a spinach dip, put it on a pizza, layer it in a lasagna, or throw it in a quiche. Whichever way you choose to eat it, including spinach in your diet is just the start to “putting your best fork forward.”
Smothered Chicken
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
½ large onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped pecans
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 teaspoons olive oil (for cooking chicken)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 oz. each)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 slices reduced-fat provolone or mozzarella cheese, halved
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and pecans; sauté until vegetables are tender and pecans are toasted. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Remove spinach mixture from skillet and cover to keep warm. In the same skillet, heat additional olive oil over medium-high heat. Rub chicken with pepper and garlic powder and add to skillet. Cook chicken breasts for 10 minutes; turn each breast over and cook an additional 10 minutes until internal temperature read with a thermometer is at least 165°F. Top with cheese; cover skillet with a lid and cook until cheese m. Top chicken breasts with spinach mixture.
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving): 260 calories, 11 grams fat, 160 milligrams sodium, 7 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 31 grams protein
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— Jenna Smith, University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Educator & Registered Dietitian
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