Week Two: Salaciously Splendid Spinach Salad!

Good Afternoon!

I’m back for the second installment of Mind Your Peas and Carrots with this week’s theme: Salaciously Splendid Spinach Salad. Have you ever caught yourself wondering how in the world you’re going to get your dark leafy greens at any point during the day, week, month, or eon? Look no further, friends (even if you’re fairly normal and don’t find yourself wondering anything of the sort).

This weeks ingredients are a bit more extensive:

1. Baby spinach (comes in a bag at your local grocery)
2. Olive/Canola oil
3. Red Wine Vinegar
4. Basic knowledge of arithmetic
5. Your favorite veggie(s) or fruit(s) (optional)

And here’s what you do with all that stuff:

1. Measure out 1 cup of baby spinach and put it in a bowl. I don’t usually cram it in tight when measuring, but don’t skimp. If you don’t feel like measuring, then don’t. You put in as much spinach as your heart desires.
2. Add your other vegetable(s) or fruit(s) if you have them, the more the merrier! Sometimes I’ll slice up some carrot, cucumber, or tomato. Heck, if you’ve got some grape tomatoes on hand just toss them in. I have yet to try fruit, but from what I’m told, vinegar helps to accent sweet tastes. (Don’t panic if you don’t have any of these things, it’s still quite tasty and nutritious with only the spinach!)
3. Now, measure one tablespoon (the bigger spoon if you don’t have measuring tools) of oil (olive or canola) and about a half-tablespoon of vinegar. If you don’t feel like measuring, just eye-ball it. The ratio is 2:1, oil to vinegar.
4. Now, get in there with your fork (or your hands) and toss it up for a delicious and easy salad PACKED with good stuff!

What good stuff? Why, I thought you’d never ask! (for the sake of length and readability, I’ll just name a few)

• Dark leafy greens, like spinach, are rich in many things but one of its most notable benefits is the B-complex vitamin Folate. Folate is an extremely important part of the diet of any young woman of child-bearing age as it prevents many birth defects such as spina bifida (“split spine) and anencephaly (“no brain”). Folate may also be involved in preventing cancer!

• Dark leafies (along with carrots mentioned above!) are also a source of Vitamin A. This vitamin has many benefits, including the support of good vision and healthy skin (protected against the sun’s rays!). Also, the provitamin A, Beta-Carotene, also exhibits anti-oxidant qualities (anti-cancer).

• Some oils, such as olive and canola, contain high amounts of Monounsaturated Fats. These fats, unlike saturated or trans fats, can be extremely beneficial. They are known to lower bad cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and, due to their chemical structure, prevent clotting in the arteries. These oils even provide certain phytochemicals that act as anti-oxidants.

• Lastly, vinegar can be most recognized not necessarily for what it is, but for what it is not. In a half-cup of mayonnaise, which is a common salad dressing base, you’re looking at about 800 calories, many of them from saturated fat (bad). The same half-cup of vinegar is only 25 calories with no fat at all! Vinegar also adds that extra flavor or bite that you might usually credit to salt, but without the salt! Too good to be true? It gets better. Vinegar even helps your body absorb minerals, namely calcium, when it enters your digestive system!

And so, there you have it: another nutritious, easy, time-conscious, and relatively cheap way to get more veggies into your diet. You’re getting at least one serving with the spinach alone. And don’t let this dressing stop on this salad. Throw a small Tupperware container in your bag with some of this stuff made up next time you head to McDonalds or even Olive Garden! Experiment with different oils and vinegars, fruits and veggies, or even add some nuts to your salad! The possibilities are endless and the benefits are finite, but great in number!