Food - how much in this word! It is no coincidence that for many people the digestive process is akin to sexual gratification. Gourmets can also be understood, because they do not seek to "fill" the stomach, but take pleasure in every bite! But how to be losing weight? For them, the first factor is not taste, but calorie content! Spinach for them is a panacea, but not a punishment! After all, it can also be prepared tasty and original. Why is this grass good and in what form can it appear on the table ?!
What are you talking about?
So what is spinach? The calorie content of this fragrant herb is relatively small - only 23 kcal per 100 grams. But this is far from the only plus. Spinach is both a useful and harmful plant, which can often be found in gardens and on store shelves. Now he has caught up with dill and parsley in popularity, although few people still know about the origin of the herb. Spinach itself is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the genus Spinach, to the Amaranth family.
Among vegetable greens, this is the most common and nutritious species. In the wild, spinach is found in Asia, and Persia is considered the birthplace of the plant. In the 6-7th century AD, spinach came to China and there it received the name "Persian vegetable". For almost 6 centuries he "went" to Europe, and he was the first to be tasted in Sicily and Spain. A plant with sharp seeds was cultivated here. By the way, now this form is forgotten. In Italy, spinach was considered spring greens and served at the table during fasting. He came to Russia in the 18th century and has long been considered the food of aristocrats. Monarchs loved spinach with eggs and croutons.
Greens in numbers
The calorie content of fresh spinach makes it a tasty morsel for people who monitor weight. The succulent leaves of the plant are very tasty and perfectly set off the taste of many salads and hot dishes. The benefits and harms of a plant are determined by its chemical composition. So, what gives spinach to our bodies? Calorie content of 100 grams is 23 kcal. The same portion contains 8 grams of protein, 39 grams of fat and 4 grams of carbohydrates. The plant contains a huge amount of vitamins, macro- and microelements. In particular, it is a source of calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper and sodium.
Some pluses
This mysterious herb also contains phytonutrients that prevent the development and appearance of cancerous tumors. They prevent the cells from changing to another form. The growth of dangerous cells is impossible. Vitamin K, which helps to absorb calcium, is useful for blood coagulation. Spinach blocks the development of osteoclasts, due to which the bones become brittle and the teeth begin to loosen. At first glance, it seems that spinach is not so attractive in its properties. Calorie content per 100 grams may not be very high, but the content of healthy protein is depressing. But here it must be said that the plant tolerates heat treatment perfectly, and therefore its benefits will remain unchanged in any form!
For digestion
If you focus on calorie content, spinach will be an excellent basis for the formation of a diet, but trusting only on it is at least strange. The plant saturates the body with useful substances and removes dangerous toxins and waste, positively affects the work of the heart and blood vessels, brain and liver. In addition, spinach replenishes well energy and vitality. But he can not replace with himself all the elements necessary for man, so the diet should be varied and appetizing.
For a snack
What would have a quick meal? How about a fresh salad of spinach, onions, cucumbers and creamy sauce? Cooking such goodies is quick and easy. The main factor when cooking will be low in calories. We tear spinach with our hands so that it gives juice. It must first be washed and dried on a paper towel. Finely chop the half of onion and sprinkle with salt a little to soften. You can add a feather of green onions, which also need to be finely chopped. We cut the cucumbers in circles and combine all the ingredients in a deep bowl. Now it’s the turn of creamy sauce, which will also be as light as possible. He will need home-made low-fat yogurt, mustard, a little crushed garlic and olive oil. We combine everything and mix well. Chilled sauce is ready to eat. By caloric content, it is much “lighter” than mayonnaise or any purchased analogue.
To drink
A delicious salad can also be washed down with invigorating juice based on the same universal plant. Spinach juice relieves fatigue and relieves drowsiness. If you do without other ingredients, then the calorie content will remain unchanged. Spinach, by the way, goes well with any other juices, so for taste you can combine it, for example, with apple or cucumber. This is very useful for athletes. Office workers will also be pleasantly surprised by the effect, since such juice stimulates the pancreas, normalizes the work and intestinal microflora. By the way, spinach prevents the appearance of kidney stones, calms the nervous system and restores peace of mind. It turns out that this is literally an elixir of good mood!
Whip up lunch
We continue to create dishes based on universal grass. Now let's try to calculate the calorie content of spinach soup . A lot of herbs in the soup does not look particularly aesthetically pleasing, and therefore it is better to prepare cream soup. To do this, you need meat broth. You can use chicken, it is less calorie. For piquancy you need arugula. Lettuce, two potatoes, onions, garlic, oil (preferably olive) and seasonings to taste are also useful. All vegetables need to be cut and boiled. Onion with garlic must first be fried in oil, and then add to the total mass. Grind the finished soup with a blender and serve immediately. You can add cream to the soup, but this will greatly increase calories. The basic recipe will “pull” 62 calories per 100 grams.
For lovers of goodies
We put aside the questions of losing weight and try to cook a truly royal dish - a pie with spinach. Its calorie content, by the way, is not as great as you might expect - only 153 calories per 100 grams. This is even if butter is added to the cake. You can, of course, do without it, but then the cake will lose some of its tenderness and splendor. Spinach must be chopped, seasoned with a raw egg, grated cheese. Cottage cheese is added to the mass, everything is well kneaded. In the meantime, you need to roll out puff pastry. In principle, you can buy ready-made, or you can quickly cook it at home from flour, butter, salt and homemade cottage cheese.
Roll out the dough in the form, grease with butter and put the filling on top. Lay the edges of the dough on top and send the pie into the oven for half an hour. Ready cake turns out appetizing and very fragrant. It can be served with tea or eat hot meal with hot dishes. You can reduce calories. Spinach can occupy the main part of the filling, if you abandon the cottage cheese and take as light cheese as possible. Without an egg yolk, there will be even less calories. But this is all a cost. In fact, even the basic recipe is surprisingly easy, but at the same time, a hearty version of baking. Such a cake will delight your home and guests who ran into a cup of tea.
Seemingly perfect product? But no, at the end of the topic, we should mention a number of contraindications for eating spinach. This plant has a lot of oxalic acid, which adversely affects the health of ulcers and people suffering from kidney and bladder diseases. Spinach is not stored for a long time - a maximum of two days. After this period, the grass is useless.
Ideally, spinach should be combined with meat, poultry or bacon. So the plant helps digestion and improves digestion. Excessive use of spinach can result in an allergic reaction, so you need to know the measure.
Spinach should not be eaten with rheumatism, gout, liver and biliary tract diseases. In case of kidney stone disease, spinach can be eaten exclusively with milk and after consulting a doctor. If the lifestyle is inactive, then the juice of the plant is shown only a couple of times a week, otherwise an increase in pressure cannot be avoided. Here is such an interesting plant - this spinach! Eat with caution so that it only benefits!