is an incredibly he althy, delicious and nutrient-dense leafy vegetable. With it you can prepare a variety of dishes and fresh salads, soups and baked goods. You can add it to your favorite omelet to enrich it with more minerals and vitamins. There is no wrong way to cook spinach. The only difference is whether you eat it raw or cooked.
Which of the ways of consuming spinach is more beneficial - fresh or cooked?
There is no unequivocal answer to this question, because spinach has its amazing benefits and manifests them differently in raw and heat-treated state.
If you steam, roast, or pan-fry spinach, you will extract much more iron from it than if it were eaten fresh. The same goes for calcium in it. After it is steamed, it can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator, adding it to dishes, soups, smoothies. In this way, you enrich your body with even more iron and calcium, which it needs.
The heat treatment of spinach increases the amount and digestibility of vitamins A and E in it. It's also easier to eat more spinach if it's cooked. Fresh spinach is a little harder to eat, chew and swallow, and the amount taken is usually less if it's in the form of a salad.
If you eat spinach raw, you won't go wrong either. This gives you more folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B3, B2 and potassium. Raw spinach is just as suitable for making smoothies as processed spinach. Raw spinach will get you the most of its fiber.
Raw spinach contains an impressive amount of vegetable protein – about 2.9 grams of protein per 100 grams of fresh spinach. This makes it wonderful for vegetarians and vegans who omit animal proteins from their diet. It is one of the richest sources of iron among plant foods.
A standard portion of spinach contains only 23 calories, making it a first friend in weight loss diets. Remember that in order to get the necessary amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber and proteins from it, you need to eat a larger amount for the day.
