Name: Baby spinach — young, small spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea) harvested early, which are tender, mild and sweet, and sold ready to eat in bags and tubs. Mature spinach has its own page.
Description
Spinach is native to ancient Persia, and baby spinach is simply the same plant harvested at about three to four weeks. Its small leaves are more tender than mature leaves, with thinner stems and a milder, less metallic taste, which makes them ideal for salads, smoothies and sandwiches.
Baby spinach has become one of the most popular salad greens because it is convenient and needs no trimming. Its convenience also means it is sold pre-washed and bagged, which carries a food-safety risk if handled badly.
Main nutrition value
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Baby spinach is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin A, folate and manganese, with some iron, magnesium and vitamin C, and is very low in calories.
How best to be consumed
Baby spinach is eaten raw or lightly wilted.
- Toss into salads with fruit, nuts, cheese and a tangy dressing.
- Wilt into soups, pasta, curries and omelettes in the last minute.
- Blend into smoothies, where its mild taste goes unnoticed.
- Layer into sandwiches and wraps.
- Keep in the fridge in its container, and use within a few days of opening.
Overconsumption could cause…
Baby spinach is safe and healthy in food amounts.
- Oxalates, which matter for people prone to kidney stones when eaten in very large amounts, and which reduce the absorption of calcium and iron from the leaves.
- Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the high vitamin K content, so keep intake steady rather than avoiding them.
- Foodborne illness from poorly washed leaves, so rinse well, especially bagged and ready-to-eat salad.
- Spoilage into slimy leaves if kept too long, which should be discarded.
Wikipedia — Spinach, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach
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