Spinach is a plant with dark green, soft leaves that are shaped a little bit like hearts, and it is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat! It is packed with iron, which helps your blood carry oxygen all around your body and keeps your muscles strong. Spinach also has lots of vitamins that are great for your eyes and your bones. A famous cartoon character named Popeye ate spinach to get super strong, and even though it will not give you giant muscles right away, it really does help your body grow healthy and powerful! Spinach originally came from Persia, which is now called Iran.
Spinach grows very quickly and loves cool weather, so farmers plant it in the spring and fall. Here is a really cool fact: when you cook spinach, it shrinks down to a tiny amount! A giant pile of fresh spinach leaves will cook down to just a small spoonful because spinach is mostly made of water. You can eat spinach raw in a salad, blend it into a smoothie, mix it into pasta, or cook it with a little butter and garlic. Baby spinach leaves are extra tender and mild, which makes them a great choice for kids who are trying spinach for the first time.
