One of the last times I was putting together a spinach salad…. I had raw spinach on the counter and I had to leave the room. When I returned, I found my littlest cat sitting on the counter, happily munching away on spinach leaves! It now appears to be one of his favorite foods and he tries to get each each time I make a salad. Spinach now makes me think of him, in addition to being good for me.

I’m devestated that someone thinks this isn’t worth consuming!

What gets us through the early spring, if not fresh spinach torn from the garden??

Spinach makes the BEST salad. With strawberries, chevre, pine nuts and the very finest balsamic vinegar you can find. (I vote for Venturi-Schulze.)

Pomegranat seeds are fun to throw in too, especially if you can find some else to clean them for you =D

Some people like to add grapefruit, but that’s just weird.

It is a great snack food.

That’s right. Fresh, raw spinach is a reasonable convenience food these days. That is because you can buy pre-washed, packaged spinach at the supermarket now.

One quick word about iron. Women, of course, need more of it than men. Men can actually get too much iron. So, if you are a guy, don’t go crazy on this.

Seriously, though. It tastes better than you think. Raw vegetables generally have more vitamins and enzymes in them than the precooked, preserved foods you typically buy. So, give this one a shot!

If you prefer it cooked, you can cook it.

Better yet, if you have a vegetable steamer – try steaming it a little instead. You might leave some of the vitamins in – if you do not overdo it. Probably more nutrients left in it after lightly steaming it than after you have boiled the heck out of it!