I buy packaged
baby spinach / baby kale mix. It is one of my favorite combinations of dark
leafy greens. Most know that dark leafy greens are good for you, but these two
together provide a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Both are rich in
Vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and K, and minerals like manganese, magnesium,
iron, copper, potassium and even calcium.
Both greens are
modest in calories, but each calorie is very dense in nutrition. There are more than a dozen different flavonoid
compounds in spinach that function as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents.
Kale has many of the same properties and even more Vitamin K than spinach. Kale
has at least 45 different antioxidant flavonoids. This is likely to be the key
to kale’s cancer preventive benefits.
I am not sure
how much Popeye knew about his favorite food, but the truth of it was not far
off. Both spinach and kale are superfoods, delivering vast nutrition, great health
benefits and good taste. While I don’t think it will allow you to pick up large
objects, like Popeye did, it will make you healthier and stronger.
When it comes to
kale, I choose the younger, smaller leaves. They are more tender and have a
more mild flavor than the larger leaves. Older kale can be bitter. I tend to
shy away from bitter foods. Mixing the baby kale with baby spinach makes for a
mild and delicious serving of the vital greens.
One caveat
though, both spinach and kale contains oxalates. When oxalates become too
concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems,
this is especially true for persons with existing and untreated kidney and
gallbladder problems. Persons with existing and untreated kidney and
gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating spinach and kale. Oxalates occur
in many foods. Our bodies even create them. So you should not be afraid to eat
spinach or kale unless you suffer from the afflictions previously mentioned or
eat a lot of high oxalate containing foods.
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