March Harvest of the Month – Spinach

The cartoon character Popeye was a very strong man because he consumed a lot of this vegetable. In fact, farmers often credited Popeye for an amazing increase in this vegetable’s sales and consumption back in the 1930’s, which helped farmers during the depression era. Of course, the nutrient-rich veggie that we are talking about is spinach, which just happens to be our March Harvest of the Month. Be sure to try some of our delicious menu items featuring spinach that will be served throughout our CHI cafeterias this month.

Try These Delicious Recipes

Tortellini, White Bean and Spinach Soup (Click for PDF)

Build Your Own Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers (Click for PDF)

Spinach Quinoa Pilaf (Click for PDF)

How to Buy, Store and Prepare

How to Buy and Store: When buying spinach, choose garden-fresh bunches with crisp, dark leaves. Do not select ones that are yellowish in color or with bruised or mushy leaves. Fresh spinach should be stored in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. Do not wash or dry it until you are ready to use it, otherwise it will wilt quickly.

How to Prepare: When preparing recipes with spinach, clean it thoroughly under cold, running water and then add it to soups, salads and casseroles. Or simply sauté it and serve as a healthy side dish.

Click to view recipe PDF.

 

Making it Kid-Friendly

Many kids may initially balk at eating spinach, but once you let them know about how often Popeye ate it, maybe they will reconsider. Spinach can easily be added to dips, pasta dishes and smoothies … all of which children typically enjoy!

Fun Facts

Check out these fun facts about spinach provided by Stephanie Fawbush, RD, LD and Megan Latiff, RD, LD, CDE, MLDE, Diabetes Educators with KentuckyOne Health Diabetes and Nutrition Care in Louisville, Kentucky:

  • March 26th is National Spinach Day
  • Dishes that end in “a la Florentine” include spinach in the recipe as a key ingredient
  • Spinach is a resilient crop that can withstand temperatures as low as 25°F
  • Spinach does not tolerate hot weather and will “bolt”, which causes the leaves to have a bitter flavor.

Your health is about more than routine trips to your doctor – it’s about the small everyday choices you make. Those small choices can add up and make a big difference on your overall health. For more information on how to redeem your wellness rewards, visit onespiritblog.com/wellness