Spinach is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either fresh, or after storage using preservation techniques by canning, freezing, or dehydration.

Spinach provides so many nutrients in such a low-calorie package that you may do well to eat a bowlful rather than a few leaves in your salad. More than a dozen phytonutrients in spinach have been found to be powerful anti-cancer agents. Twice the amount of Vitamin K we need for bone health is found in a cup of raw spinach leaves; a cup of cooked spinach provides 1,000% of our daily value. The huge vitamin and mineral load in spinach contributes to cardiovascular and colon health, better brain function and eyesight, and more energy. Cooking releases even more of the nutrients, but be sure to cook quickly and lightly and don't pour all those juices down the drain.