Wilted Spinach

A few weeks ago at our quarterly meeting for work, I was amazed that I was the only person in the room who claimed to eat spinach for breakfast! This is a staple of mine, super easy, and so great for you!

These 'Persian Greens', as they're still referred to in China, gained more fame and attention during the 1960's as cartoon Popeye, the Sailorman, encouraged children to eat their spinach so they could grow up to be big and strong... the crazy part being that there was a LOT of truth to this cartoon's claim to fame:

Spinach is low in fat and even lower in cholesterol. It is high in niacin and zinc, as well as:

• vitamins A, C, E, and K
• thiamin
• protein
• fiber
• vitamin B6
• folate
• calcium
• magnesium
• iron
• phosphorus
• copper
• potassium
• manganese

All this to say... it's loaded with so many nutritional benefits to aid every part of your body!

Spinach has been known to help maintain vigorous brain function, memory, and mental clarity. (Clearly I still don't eat quite enough!)

Spinach's abundance of flavonoids give it antioxidant characteristics that keep cholesterol from oxidizing and protects your body from free radicals - especially your colon. Spinach is also rich in folate, which keeps your cardiovascular system in tip-top shape. The magnesium in this super-veg helps to bring high blood pressure down.

Now that you know why you should eat it, here's one of the easiest ways how to eat more spinach!

I like to take a couple fresh mushrooms, slice them up and set them aside to add in at the very end... it's a texture thing for me - add them whenever seems best for you.

I always start by heating up my skillet and throwing in a knob of butter and a whole clove of garlic... lately I've been fighting an ear infection so I leave the clove in the mix and eat it whole, disregarding the scent of my breath as the day goes on... :)

Once the butter has melted and covered the skillet, I throw as much of a bag of spinach on as possible.

It looks like a heap, and it is, but as it wilts, you'll see it's not excessive... by the time it's done, you'll have incorporated the whole bag.

I have become accustomed to using a glass plate for my lid... keep that steam in there! 

You'll see that the spinach cooperates in sections... 

Just keep turning it! It really comes together quite quickly.

At this point, feel free to throw in any additional veggies or even eggs! Spinach will keep you full, regular, and absolutely radiant. Eat it up and enjoy!