The New Complete Book of Food



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r Spinach

See also Greens, Lettuce.

Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Low

Protein: High

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: Moderate

Fiber: Low

Sodium: Moderate

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin A, folate, vitamin C

Major mineral contribution: Potassium

About the Nutrients in This Food

Spinach has some sugar, a trace of starch; a moderate amount of proteins

considered “incomplete” because they are deficient in the essential amino

acids tryptophan, methionine, and cystine; very little fat; and no choles-

terol. It has moderate amounts of cellulose, and the noncarbohydrate food

fiber lignin, which is found in roots, seed coverings, stems, and the ribs of

leaves. Spinach is a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C. It is also rich

in iron, but oxalic acid (a naturally-occurring chemical in spinach leaves)

binds the iron into an insoluble compound the body cannot absorb. Only 2

to 5 percent of the iron in spinach is actually available for absorption.

One cup of chopped fresh spinach leaves has 0.7 g dietary fiber, 2,813

IU vitamin A (1.2 times the RDA for a woman, 95 percent of the RDA for

a man), 58 mcg folate (15 percent of the RDA), 84 mg vitamin C (1.1 times

the RDA for a woman, 93 percent of the RDA for a man), and 0.8 mg iron

(4 percent of the RDA for a woman, 10 percent of the RDA for a man).

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food

Fresh, lightly steamed, to protect its vitamin C.

With a cream sauce. The sauce, which can be made of low-fat milk,

provides the essential amino acids needed to complete the proteins in

the spinach.