Spinach - the true superfood?

[nmonaco]

I began to notice the huge impact my daily 9-12 ounces of spinach was having on my cronometer nutrient totals so I did a little experiment.

According to cronometer if I eat 21 cups of chopped spinach I will fulfill 85% of my nutrients at 869.4 calories. I get similar numbers with 30 cups of chard at 78% nutrients at 1050 cal.

 

Now I do not suggest this as a daily regimen, but I am surprised at the nutrient count. Does spinach really have fat in it? According to crono my 21 cups has 217% of omega 3 - who knew? (you guys probably did but not me!).

 

Is spinach the key to successful CRON living? When in doubt or short on nutrient, just eat more spinach? (all Popeye references aside for now)

[Burak]

Not just spinach, but also all of the green leafy vegetables are considered superfoods because of their high nutrient profile and other supposed health benefits. There is no reason not to eat them a lot, but I would suggest you make some variety among them if you can.

 

Unfortunately, it is hard to find kale, collard etc. in France, but frozen spinach is very affordable so I eat them almost every day (about 1kg a week) to fill that slot.

[mccoy]

nmonaco, the wealth of nutrients in some green vegetables is at the base of Dr. Fuhrman's diet, who suggests at least 1 kg vegetables a day, 50% raw, 50% cooked. This is the minimum.

 

On another thread we discussed his ANDI score, total micronutrients and phytochemicals normalized by calories, where spinach and a few others have the maximum score.

 

If you are able to eat (and digest) 21 cups of kale or spinach or swiss chard or collards, then you are advised to do so, if you are going to die, that will be of too much health.

 

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to eat kilograms of vegetables. I get fully satiated with much less and that will highjack my stomach, preventing me from eating much else.

 

Bottom line, the more green veggies you eat the better, within the boundaries of your digestive power.

[mccoy]

Recently I'm trying a mix of spinach+turnip greens and the results in cronometer, in terms of micronutrients, are just spectacular. Ditto spinach+chicory.

 

[Annik]

To eat 21 cups of spinach, you would have to graze like a cow, lol. I try to get in a few cups of mostly-green, steamed vegetables a day - and that takes up enough space, both in my stomach and time-wise, in preparation.

[Korkey]

I know I'm late to this party, but: I love spinach, it is packed with nutrients. I eat some almost every day. However, it is also high in oxalates, which can increase the risk of kidney stones. I do not know the chances that eating really large amounts of spinach can really lead to kidney stones, but I've read that it is good to eat other greens in addition to spinach (kale, arugula, collards, etc. which have low oxalates). So I try to mix it up. (p.s. I got the info from "How Not to Diet" book by Dr. Greger.

[mccoy]

Yes, oxalates may be an issue, but it apparently depends on single individuals. Of course, how can you know in advance, if young, if you have a predisposition for stones? The best strategy is probably to diversify. I use frozen spinach and chards (both high in oxalates) as a staple of my diet, given their low cost and high nutrient power, but rotate with as many other veggies as possible. Another extremely rich combo is spinach+broccoli. Season also governs, in the wither (northern hemisphere) cruciferous vegetables are plenty and inexpensive, in the summer raw salads are refreshing and satiating, in late summer and fall peppers, eggplants, zucchini and tomatoes rule supreme.

Edited March 3, 2022 by mccoy

[mccoy]

Other strategies to check the oxalate intake when eating spinach not mentioned above: throw your cooking water, eat Ca-rich foods with them.