Spinach

 

Why it’s good for you: Spinach is chock-full of nutrients, including iron, calcium and vitamin A, which keeps the eyes and skin healthy. Spinach also packs folate, which helps the body form healthy red blood cells and prevents birth defects during pregnancy.

How to eat it: In your salads, sandwiches and omelets

Serving size: 1 cup fresh or ½ cup cooked

Calories: 7–21

Recipe: Dr. Janet’s Spinach, Apple and Walnut Salad
Yield: 4 servings

Salad
Ingredients
6 cups organic baby spinach leaves
1 green apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
½ cup chopped walnuts
4 teaspoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat a toaster oven to 350ºF. Spread walnuts on an aluminum-foil-covered baking pan. Toast walnuts in toaster oven for approximately 3 minutes, shaking pan occasionally to prevent scorching. Place spinach, apple slices and walnuts in a bowl and toss. Serve in salad bowls and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon Gorgonzola cheese and 1 tablespoon dressing (see below).

Dressing
Ingredients
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
Dash pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup
¼ cup canola oil

In a food processor, blend all ingredients except oil. Slowly pour oil into food processor, pulsing until well blended. Chill until ready to servve salad.

Nutrition per serving (¼ of the salad plus 1 tablespoon of salad dressing):
Calories: 208
Fat: 15 g
Sodium: 155 mg
Carbohydrates: 21 g
Dietary fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 11 g
Protein: 4 g

Recipe excerpted from Cholesterol Down by Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN (Three Rivers Press, December 2006). To learn more about this book, visit DrJanet.com