So I know I promised more mobility drills, but I want to keep the subject matter of this blog varied, so today I’m posting about spinach ~ more mobility in a later post…I know, you can hardly wait. 

You would have to be living in a cave to not know that the dark leafy green vegetable known as spinach is one of the good guys.  For a mere 7 calories an ounce, you get fiber, vitamins A, C & K, calcium, iron and trace amounts of a host of other vitamins and minerals.  Given that pre-washed organic baby spinach is readily available in any supermarket, there is no reason not to add it to your diet.  Today I want to give you three ways to try spinach, one in which you won’t even taste it (so no excuses).

I eat 3 eggs for breakfast probably 4 to 5 days a week (if you think I’m going to have high cholesterol, go back and read Food Myths).   I am up at 5 AM Monday through Friday to train clients starting at 6 AM.  I begin my day with coffee…I cannot eat first thing in the morning.  But by the time I get home around 8:30 I am really hungry…so 3 eggs, a bit of parmesan cheese and some spinach in my eggs is a breakfast that fills me up.  I take several handfuls of spinach, dump it in a bowl, zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it a bit, then add to my eggs as they finish cooking.  Very easy. 

Another easy way to add some spinach to your diet is to throw it into a smoothie.  I have read this suggestion many times but have to admit to being a bit skeptical that the smoothie wouldn’t end up tasting like spinach…I love spinach, but spinach mixed with a fruit smoothie did not sound appealing.  In the interest of today’s blog post, however, yesterday I gave it a try.  My smoothie is usually a “meal on the go” or a post-workout recovery drink.  I typically use a banana, some strawberries, plain Greek yogurt (extra protein, no added sugar), unsweetened almond milk, ice and protein powder (I use Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey, which is a whey protein powder derived from grass-fed cows ~ if you go to the link, you have to scroll all the way down the page to get to the order information…Dr. Mercola loves to talk).  I threw all my usual ingredients into the blender, then took a handful of organic baby spinach and added it at the end…the blender chops the spinach into very tiny pieces…you could see bits of green in the smoothie, but to my surprise (and pleasure) the smoothie still tasted the same.  Great way to add some dark leafy greens to your diet.

My final recommendation is actually a recipe.  Some of my favorite recipes come from Williams Sonoma ~ they have an extensive recipe collection, which is the source of Spinach Sauteed with Raisins and Pine Nuts.  This is a super easy dish that adds a bit of sweet (the raisins) and a bit of crunch (the pine nuts) to some sauteed spinach, onions and garlic.  I wilt the spinach in the microwave ~ faster and easier than doing on the stove.  This really takes almost no time to put together and is a nice side with a piece of grilled chicken or fish.

So there you go ~ three really easy ways to add some dark leafy greens to your diet.  While spinach is super easy as it is readily available in a convenient form, there are lots of vegetables in this category that are equally as good (maybe better).  I will talk about some of them in a future post, especially since I saw bagged, prewashed chopped kale at Whole Foods the other day. 

Have a great day and enjoy your spinach!  🙂